


Through the Fade and back

by EvangelineLavellan



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-04
Updated: 2020-03-21
Packaged: 2021-03-01 02:35:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 8
Words: 40,629
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23017894
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EvangelineLavellan/pseuds/EvangelineLavellan
Summary: I wanna thank one of my best friends, the one who got me into playing Dragon Age (Origins, 2 and Inquisition), Ma girl T, couldn't have done this without you!Also I would like to thank some of the other writers here on the Archive, for writing such beautiful pieces, for inspiring me to even try, for embacing my geekiness to the fullest =)So a shout out to Erynnar, Ladyamesindy, Collectofwonder and make sure to read some of their stories!Everything dragon age is owned by Bioware, except the stuff I added!
Relationships: Alistair/Female Warden (Dragon Age), Anders/Female Warden (Dragon Age)
Kudos: 4





	1. Newborn

Outside the tower the wind was howling, bashing against the tower, the thunder roared and the lightning illuminated the whole room, making dancing shadows on the wall for a split second.  
‘Come on you need to push girl, come on push!’ the healer tried to coax her into giving it her all. Thea’s water broke almost 12 hours ago and the birthing process wasn’t an easy one. The templars next to her watching with a scala of emotions with a variation from horror to curiosity to disgust. Disgust of bringing a possible new mage into the world.

Thea screamed as a new contraction almost overwhelmed her. ‘Common you foolish girl, PUSH!’  
Screaming and pushing, she felt a feeling of something tearing inside her. She started crying. ‘Please make it stop! I can’t do this anymore!’  
‘Thea, sweet girl, you can and you must, you don’t have a choice, you didn’t stop when you and that idiot where busy putting it in you. If you stop now the babe will die and so will you. So stop your crying and keep on pushing! The babe’s head is crowning, 3 more pushes and you can hold it in your arms.’  
What the healer didn’t say was that Thea was losing too much blood, so the chances of her actually holding the baby was slinking by the second.  
One of the templars present started to whisper to the one next to him about the blood loss, ‘Shut it you fool, do you want this to be for nothing?’, the healer hissed furiously. He looked to his armored boots in shame.

After almost another hour the cries of baby filled the whole room. ‘Get that babe cleaned and swaddled! I’ve got my hands full saving Thea!’ The healer yelled to the other mage assisting her in the birth. ‘Uhm, Leonore, umh ma’am… I think we are losing her…’ the mage said quietly. The healer snapped her head to Thea and saw her very pale face, eyes closed, mouth slightly open, her breath coming down in small gulps, like she’s struggling, clinging onto life with everything she’s got.  
‘Is… the baby…’, Thea tried, ‘She’s fine and she’s beautiful sweet girl. You did fantastic.’ Leonore soothed her. ‘Lee,… I’m dying aren’t I?’ Thea tried, voice shaking, the healer nodded slowly. ‘Can I… see her?’ she asked. ‘Of course sweet girl,’ Leonore took the baby from the other mage showing it to Thea, ‘She’s… She’s so beautiful Thea cried voice trembling, ‘I’m so sorry, little one, I’m so sorry I won’t be there for you… But know that I will always love you!’ Thea’s voice became more and more a whisper.  
‘Uhm Leonore, I think…’ ‘I know!’ Leonore snapped to the other mage angrily. She tried blinking the tears away but missed the one rolling over her cheek.  
Leonore looked at the small, pink yawning bundle in her arms and then to one of the older templars, Balwyn she thought his name was. ‘Bring the babe to the nearest chantry and make sure a wet nurse is present for the babe. Maker knows it will be hungry.’  
‘Lee…’ Thea whispered, ‘Tell them… her name is Amelia…’. ‘I will child, don’t worry.’. Thea gave a barely visible nod and blew out a small sigh and stopped breathing after that.  
‘Be gentle with her body, show it the respect it is owed.’ Leonore told the rest of the templars in a stern voice, ‘I’m getting far too old for this shit…’ the healer mumbled. ‘If anyone needs me, I will be in my room with a bottle of whatever I can get a hold of and no one of you templars will mention it to your superiors, I think I deserved a couple of glasses after this…’ And with that she left the room nodding to Balwyn. The older templar holding the baby left as well heading to his knight-commander.

A soft knock on the door had the knight-commander and the first enchanter looking up at the door. ‘Come in’ the deep voice of the knight-commander rumbled. ‘Ah Balwyn, I see that Thea finally gave birth, how is she?’ Balwyn looked to the babe ‘The mother didn’t… She died, Sir.’.  
The knight-commander and the first enchanter looked to each other and both of them sighed. The knight-commander pinched his nose bridge.  
‘Well, let us get the child to the nearest chantry, Maker knows it will cry soon, and it will be hungry. I will send a raven to announce your arrival with the babe and I will ask if they will provide a wet nurse. Also when you return, make sure to bring another order of lyrium with you.’.  
Balwyn nodded ‘Yes Sir!’. He looked to the little frowning child in his arms, ‘Well, off we go then, shall we?’.


	2. Bibidi bobidi

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 6 years after chapter 1!

Amelia cried silent tears when the two templars rowed the boat to Kinloch hold. She remembered flashes of what happened.  
She was running away from the rest of the chantry orphans, she was being chased again ‘Mage child’ they yelled, ‘Demon bait’ , and then they started throwing stones. She really hated that. She cried and yelled to leave her alone but they wouldn’t listen. They circled her and they came close, to close. She felt something brewing inside, like lava in a volcano before erupting, and when the first punch and kick landed on her, she screamed and the internal volcano erupted, well exploded is a better word.

And suddenly everyone around her lay on their backs, a couple of meters further with looks of fear, disgust and hate. A few of the kids who weren’t knocked out, scrambled straight up and ran away.  
Amelia looked to her hands in shock, ‘I… I didn’t mean to… I’m… sorry,’ tears welled up, and she cried until her voice was hoarse.  
The kids that ran away were back, and they brought company. Some templars with them. Amelia was sitting against the wall rocking back and forth while constantly repeating; ‘I’m sorry’, ‘I didn’t mean to’, ‘I’ll be good, please don’t hurt me’.  
One of them tried to grab her at the wrist, looking with utter disgust to the little girl sitting in front of them. ‘Stop!’ the other one hissed, ‘Do you really want to trigger her outburst again?’, he said tohis colleague with frustration. He hunched in front of her, ‘Amelia’. ‘I’m so sorry I will never do it again, please, I’m so sorry’ she kept babbling, ‘Amelia!’ he said more stern now. ‘Try to get a hold of yourself, you have shown magical abilities and we need to bring you to the revered mother and then the circle.’  
Amelia looked up to the templar that had spoken up, ‘Will I be in trouble?’. ‘No kiddo, you won’t’ he said softer now. He offered her his hand and when she took it, he pulled her up. She sniveled a little bit more but it was more of the feeling of fear of herself, had she really thrown everybody that far away, without using her hands?

She was allowed to grab her things in the sleeping hall, but she noticed that even her friends kept their distance from her. They looked as she was contagious.  
She felt her cheeks getting warm again and her eyes watery. The two templars escorting her helped her packing her stuff and then brought her to the revered mother.  
When they entered the revered mother’s study she noticed the disgust written all over her face. She felt so small, so weak, so insignificant.  
‘Well…’ the revered mother drawled. ‘I always knew you would become trouble’, Amelia looked at her feet, and at the same time trying not to roll with her eyes. The revered mother always treated her with disdain, it always seemed like she hated Amelia.  
‘Now, be a good girl, don’t cause the good templars with you no trouble and off with you to the Circle!’. ‘Amelia looked to the men next to her, the one that tried to grab her looked bored, and the other one, the one who showed kindness when she didn’t expect it, looked a little angry, but it wasn’t directed at her, it was directed at the revered mother?!

The three of them sat in the boat on Lake Calenhad, and she finally dared to ask the ‘nice’ templar, ‘Uhm, excuse me Sir, uhm, why were you angry at the revered mother?. He sighed, ‘You’ve noticed that didn’t you kiddo,’ Amelia nodded, ‘Well I think it’s because she treats you rather unfair, just because you have magic.’ The ‘bored’ templar snorted, ‘Seriously?’. The nice templar’s head snapped to him with a look in his eyes that dared him to say even more.  
‘My little sister’s also a mage, and she was taken to circle when she was around your age, so I always try to keep in mind how I wish she would and will be treated, you know?’ Amelia nodded, ‘Is she in this circle?’, the nice templar laughed a small laugh, ‘No, she’s in the Ostwick circle, in the Free Marches. I think she would have liked you’, he winked at Amelia.

The boat arrived at the shore of Kinloch hold and both of the templars got out. ‘Come Amelia, here’s your new home’.  
Amelia felt the pressure of the magic inside the tower, ‘Are there a lot of mages here?’ she asked in a small voice. ‘There are, and a lot of kids of your age, so you will make a lot of friends here I think’, the nice templar said. The bored templar snorted again ‘Yeah right!’. Another look of the nice templar made sure he didn’t say more.  
When they entered she met the knight-commander and the first enchanter, Gregoir and Irving were their names. Gregoir looked like a strict person, but his eyes softened when she introduced herself shyly. Irving, she thought, was a very nice old person, as nice as old persons can be of course.  
She said her goodbyes to the nice templar, took her bag and then took the hand Irving offered and they walked with the knight-commander to Irvings office to make sure her phylactery and her sleep accommodations were in order. She made a face when they made a small cut in her hand to fill the phylactery but Irving healed her hand right after. She looked at her hand in awe.

During dinner, Irving introduced her to the rest of the circle, and more importantly to the kids her age. She instantly clicked with Jowan, he only got there a week before her, so he knew what she was going through. Also a funny boy named Anders, who tried to escaped the circle already and he was only 9 years old. Also two girls named Keili and Petra who said they liked her long hair. And a shy boy named Kinnon. When she went to bed, she had the feeling she made friends for life. She fell asleep with a feeling of belonging, she was home.


	3. Boo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amelia is all grown up now!
> 
> Hope you guys like it!

‘HAPPY 18th BIRTHDAY, AMES!’, Amelia was awake instantly. Jowan, Anders, Keili, Petra and Kinnon surrounded her bunk. ‘Aw you guys remembered my birthday?’ Amelia practically glowed of happiness. ‘Seriously though, how on earth did you guys remembered my bday?’, ‘Are you kidding me?’ Anders laughed, ‘You’ve hounded us for months, landed hints on every occasion so we would remember it!’, ‘Aw come on, I wasn’t that, uhm bad I guess’ Amelia giggled. ‘Nah, it could’ve been worse, Keili even gave us a list of gifts she wanted for her birthday so, …’ Jowan snickered. ‘You guys, thanks so much, you know, for being there, for being the best friends I can imagine’ Amelia said. ‘Aw come on Ames, you’re going to make me all emotional, you know I need a lot of hugs or something more when I’m emotional’ Anders winked. ‘Ugh Anders, you have to know by now that I see as a brother and nothing well… more’ Amelia laughed. ‘Yeah Anders, way to go making it weird again!’ Keili said rolling her eyes while trying to hide her smile. ‘Ladies, you can’t blame a bloke for trying, how else can I test these handy robes out.’ Anders said looking to all the girls in their group with mock disappointment.

‘Anyways you guys, I see you all toni-ight!’ Amelia said in a sing-song voice, ‘Cause guess who snagged two bottles of West Hill’s Brandy, and yes ladies and gents, that would be yours truly!’, ‘Oh Sweet Maker, Not only a magical genius but also a sneaky stealing genius!’ Anders said with a hint of admiration in his voice. ‘How did you pull that off? I mean, those bottles are in Gregoir’s locked cabinet in his study!’ Kinnon said with wide eyes, sounding impressed. ‘Well…’ Amelia started ‘Let’s just say there’s this templar who has a crush on me’ she said casually while picking at her nails. ‘A-HA! I knew that Cullen dude was into you!’ Jowan laughed. ‘Yeah yeah, I feel evil enough as it is using him like this so, let’s just meet up tonight, get shitfaced drunk and celebrate my birthday and then hopefully we get so shitfaced we’ll forget I ever mentioned this, kay?’, ‘Oh no Ames, this is going to haunt you’ Keili said while laughing. ‘Next time I try to escape and he is one of the templars send to catch me, I’m going to use you as leverage!’ Anders said with gleem in his eyes.  
‘Anders! Seriously, don’t that’s just mean! And also, if you’re going to escape again, make sure you don’t get caught, I don’t think poor Mr. Wiggums is going to visit you every time you’re in solitary confinement’ Amelia said sarcastically while putting on her boots. ‘Why not?’ Anders said dramatically ‘he’s my bestest friend in the whole circle I have you know!’.  
‘Come on, let’s get some breakfast’ Jowan suggested.  
‘I’ll be there in a minute’, Amelia said brushing her long auburn hair, ‘I just want to freshen up a little bit more’. ‘We’ll save you a seat’ Jowan said. ‘Kay’ Amelia mused while she made a side swept braid.

While she was washing up Amelia heard a lot of clinking footsteps entering the dormitory. She dried her face and hands quickly to check who it was.  
Irving and knight-commander Gregoir walked up to her with 4 other templars waiting at the door, Cullen being one of them.  
‘Amelia’, Irving started, ‘I know this is quite sudden, but as we look at the progress you made since you’re here and the magical prowess you possess, we have decided you are ready for your harrowing’, Amelia paled hearing Irving and Gregoir talking about her harrowing and the risks it would impose.  
‘Uhm, I… I…’ Amelia stuttered and turning even paler, ‘Do not worry child, I’ll guide you through the process, and I have every bit of confidence in your abilities!’. Amelia swallowed and nodded.  
Irving and Gregoir walked in the front, one of the four templars before her, Cullen next to her and the two others behind her. ‘Don’t worry, you’ll be fine!’ Cullen whispered quickly to her, The templar before them eying them suspiciously through the narrow slot of his helmet.  
Every floor they passed she heard the whispers and the murmurs starting.  
‘Please Maker, if you can hear me, please, make sure I survive this’, Amelia thought.  
Finally the entered the Harrowing chamber, one of the four templars guarding the door as the rest of them entered the room.


	4. Possession much?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amelia is going through her Harrowing and is NOT thrilled about it! 
> 
> Let me know what you guys think! =)

‘Magic exists to serve men, and never to rule over him’, Gregoir quoted when he approached her, ‘Thus spoke the prophet of Andraste as she cast down the Tevinter Imperium, ruled by mages who had brought the world to the edge of ruin. Your magic is a gift, but it’s also a curse, for demons of the dream realm – the fade- are drawn to you, and thus seek to use you as a gateway into this world.’ He looked over to Irving who nodded Amelia over to the lyrium pedestal ‘This is why the Harrowing exist. The ritual sends you into the fade, and there you will face a demon, armed with only your will.’ Amelia’s throat tightened, ‘Is there no other option? She managed in a small voice. ‘There is Tranquility…’ Gregoir said in a stern voice. ‘Is losing all your magic an option? No, I have faith that you will succeed.’ Irving answered. ‘Know this apprentice, if you fail, we templars will perform our duty. You will die’, Gregoir said sternly.  
‘This is lyrium’, Gregoir pointed to the pedestal, ‘The very essence of magic and your gateway into the fade.’. ‘The Harrowing is a secret out of necessity, child,’ Irving said with as much comfort he could offer considering the situation, ‘Every mage must go through this trial by fire. As we succeeded, so shall you! Keep your wits about you and remember the fade is a realm of dreams. The sprits may rule it, but your own will is real.’ He gave her a fast hug, ‘The apprentice must go through this test alone, First enchanter!’ Gregoir scolded, ‘You are ready’, he tried to soften his scolding with those words of encouragement.  
‘Ok, Ames, now is not the time to panic!’ she mumbled, she took a couple of deep breaths to steady herself, allowing herself to reach that flow of concentration that everyone was so envious of.  
She gave Irving a last look with fearful eyes, and he nodded is encouragement.  
She took another couple of steadying breaths and walked towards the lyrium pedestal.  
She placed her hand over it and suddenly everything became engulfed in a blinding exploding white light.

Amelia heard twisted voices from afar whispering about power, freedom and desire. She blinked a couple of times. ‘Agh, seriously, laying it on a bit much, no?’ She asked aloud and al of a sudden the voices stopped talking. ‘So, this is the fade huh?’ she kept talking aloud, she felt a bit more secure that way. ‘Looks like, uhm, like nothing that I could imagine, I guess’ she murmured. She saw a weird looking statue with disturbingly long arms and no hands, it had a very Tevintery vibe she thought to herself. She walked further on the path when suddenly, she was under attack by a wisp wraith. Sensing this foe didn’t need a lot of attacks she used a low voltage lightning bolt. ‘Huh, it couldn’t be that easy, right?’ she asked herself. She followed the path winding, twisting around the most weird looking statues and views, and every couple of meters a wisp wraith would appear, she dispatched those easily, always using her lightning bolt attacks. She looked around some more, ‘Makers breath, this place gives me the creeps!’  
‘Someone else thrown to the wolves. As fresh and unprepared as ever.’ A voice said. Amelia turned around to see if someone appeared behind her, but no one was there. She looked to her feet and there it was, a talking rat. ‘Sweet maker!’ she cursed. ‘It isn’t right that they do this, the templars. Not to you, me, anyone.’ The rat said incredibly frustrated.  
‘You’re… a talking… rat!’ Amelia asked in a high pitched voice, all the while thinking how she hated rats.  
Rats, spiders and every animal that had more than 4 legs or none at all for that matter.  
‘You think you’re really here? In that body? You look like that because you THINK you do!’ the rat said with mock amusement.  
The rat continued and sighed, ‘It’s always the same. But it’s not your fault. You’re in this the same boat I was, aren’t you?’ While the rat said that he became engulfed in that same bright white light as she had when she entered the fade. The white light became the shape of a man. ‘Oh maker have mercy!’ she mumbled under her breath.  
‘Allow me to welcome you to the fade, you can call me… well, Mouse.’ The man in front of her said with arms open to welcome her.  
Amelia looked impressed, ‘You can change your shape?’ she asked. ‘Like I said, in this place, you are what you perceive yourself to be. I think I used to be like you… before.’ Mouse answered. ‘The templars kill you if you take too long, you see. They figure you failed, and they don’t want something getting out. That’s what they did to me, I think. I have no body to reclaim. And you don’t have much time before you end up the same.’ The way he said that sends a chill over her spine. I think I can’t trust anything here, she thought to herself, not even this guy!  
‘What am I supposed to do?’ she asked Mouse carefully.  
‘There’s something here, contained, just for an apprentice like you. You have to face the creature, a demon, and resist it if you can. That’s your way out, or your opponents, if the templars wouldn’t kill you. A test for you, a tease for the creatures of the fade.’ Again that tone of his voice made an alarm bell go off in her mind.

Why pit me against such a creature?’ she dared to ask. ‘A question for those in the tower. Maybe you are lucky enough to ask. Maybe someday, so will I.’ ‘Yeah, creepy much?’ her mind screamed at her.  
‘there are others here, other spirits. They will tell you more, maybe help, if you can believe anything you see, I’ll follow, if that’s all right. My chance was long ago, but you… you may have a way out.’ Mouse said and shifted back in his rat form. Before they went any further he gave her another bone chilling warning: ‘It is dangerous to be out in the open like this. Not that hiding helps much in the fade.’  
‘Ugh now Creeper Mc Creep is going to follow me around in this shitty place, Makers breath, why can’t I just catch a friggin’ break, it’s my birthday dammit!’ She thought angrily.  
They continued their way further over the same path she was following in the first place until they reached some sort of clearing with a lot of fire. ‘This is where the demon will manifest!’ ‘Will you shut it for a moment!’ Amelia grumbled, ‘I need to focus!’, she felt to pulls In front of her, one a dark energy and another lighter, more encouraging energy. ‘Hm what to do first,’ she murmured. The rat looked at her with angry eyes, and even more disturbingly: hunger.  
She shrugged the feeling and made herself move forward on the path.  
She felt the lighter energy pull her towards it, so she sped up. A couple of wisp wraiths appeared in front of her, and like before she dispatched them easily on her own.  
She saw another clearing with a translucent figure with templar armor standing next to a couple of weapon racks, in the middle of it.  
‘Another mortal thrown into the flames and left to burn, I see’ the spirit said disappointed. ‘Your mages have devised a cowardly test. Better you were pitted against each other to prove your mettle with skill, than to be sent unarmed against a demon.’  
‘You know why I’m here?’ Amelia asked the spirit, while Mouse huffed.  
‘You are not the first sent here for such testing. Nor shall you be the last, I suspect.’ The spirit answered her question. ‘That you remain means you have not yet defeated your hunter. I wish you a glorious battle to come!’ the spirit continued.  
‘What kind of spirit are you?’ She asked carefully. ‘I am Valor, warrior spirit. I hone my weapons in search of the perfect expression of combat.’ He answered patiently.  
‘Did you create all of those weapons?’ she asked awed by the craftsmanship. ‘They are brought into being by my will. I understand that in your world, mages are the only ones who can will things into being. Those mortals who cannot lust lead such hollow empty lives.’ Valor mused.  
‘Would one of these weapons affect the demon?’ Amelia asked curiously, a plan forming in her mind. ‘Without a doubt. In this realm, everything that exists is the expression of a thought. Do you think these blades be steel? The staves be wood? Do you believe they draw blood? A weapon is a single need for battle, and my will makes that need a reality.’ Valor explained passionately.  
Mouse began to shift uncomfortably on his feet, ‘Is this nagging really necessary? We need to get a move on!’ ‘Shush!’ Amelia said annoyed.  
‘Do you truly desire one of my weapons? I will give on to you… If you agree to duel me, first. Valor shall test your mettle as it should be tested!’ the spirit announced honorably.  
Amelia smiled at that, ‘I agree to your duel, Valor!’, ‘As you wish, mortal.’ Valor said bowing his head in acknowledgement.  
They both got in position in front of each other, Amelia closed her eyes and focused on her magic inside. She visualized Valor in her mind’s eye and prepared for her attack.  
‘Our duel begins now! Fight with Valor!’ the spirit shouted.  
Amelia let her magic loose, she flung lightning bolt after fire ball, stone fist spell and a Winter’s grasp spell (not necessarily in that order) at the spirit until he fell to his knees panting.  
‘Enough!’ he shouted, ‘Your strength is sufficient to the task, the staff I promised is yours!’. ‘Thank you, Valor. I will remember your help!’ she answered him reverently.  
‘Now that that is out of the way, can we now please proceed!’ Mouse drawled. ‘Seriously, stop bugging me’ Amelia snapped, ‘I get you want to help me, but this is MY harrowing, I decide what to do CAPICE!’. Mouse huffed again but stayed quiet.

Her gut told her Valor was a spirit she shouldn’t be concerned about, but the other darker energy ahead , well that’s a different story. And Mouse seemed, she didn’t know what to think but the way he said some things…, she didn’t trust the guy, rat, whatever he was.  
Armed with the staff of Valor, she continued her way with Mouse to the dark energy. After the first turn she was under attack by spirit wolfs. But thanks to the new staff in her hands she dispatched them fairly easy.  
When they neared the dark energy, a feeling of dread nestled in her stomach. ‘There is another spirit here, not the one hunting you that is, but still…’ Mouse said.  
‘Is that a… bear?’ Amelia asked, ‘No it looks like… I think it’s called a Bereskhan, I studied it in one of the textbooks this year.  
‘Hmm…’ the creature murmured, ‘so you are the mortal being hunted? And the small one… Is he to be a snack for me?’ it asked hopefully.  
‘I don’t like this!’ He’s not going to help us, we should go!’ Mouse said nervously, while changing in his human form.  
‘What, scared I might agree with that thing and serve you up?’ Amelia asked sweetly and grinning.  
Mouse looked in horror at her, ‘Will you get over yourself, I’m kidding!’ she rolled her eyes at him.  
The bear-like creature at their feet sniffed very loudly and lazily while getting on his feet: ‘No matter, the demon will get you eventually and perhaps there will even be scraps left. The way that thing said ‘scraps’ made her flinch a little.  
‘What kind of spirit are you?’ she asked slowly. ‘It’s a demon, maybe even more powerful than the one chasing you!’ Mouse sad fast, to fast she thought.  
‘Begone!’ the bear-like creature yawned, ‘Surely you have better things to do than bother Sloth, mortal! I tire of you already.’ And with that the sloth demon curled up again ready for the next nap.  
Amelia blinked a couple of times, ‘Friggin kidding me?’ she mumbled.  
‘Worry about the demon hunting you.’ The sloth demon murmured sleepily.  
‘I need help defeating a demon’ Amelia declared boldly.  
‘You have a very nice staff…’ Sloth yawned (again, that is one tired ass demon), ‘Why would you need me? Go use your weapon since you earned it, be valorous!’ Sloth snickered.  
‘He looks powerful, it might be possible that he could, teach you to be like him’ whispered Mouse to her.  
‘Like me? You mean teach the mortal to take this form? Why? Most mortals are too attached to their forms to learn the change.’ Sloth interjected,  
‘Huh, good to know your ears are working better than your attitude’ Amelia grumbled.  
Sloth ignored her comment, ‘You on the other hand, little rat, might be a better student. You let go of the human form years ago.’ Something flashed in Mouse’s eye, was that fear? It disappeared as quickly as it surfaced so she shrugged it off, but putting it in the back of her mind.  
‘Something isn’t right with that guy, rat, thing, Maker why does this need to be so difficult?’ her internal dialogue rambled on but she snapped to attention when Mouse answered Sloth.  
‘I… don’t think I’d make a very good bear, how would I hide?’ ‘CREEEEEEP’ her mind screamed at her.  
‘It’s not about hiding, smartass! It’s about you helping me fight that demon that’s hunting me.’ Amelia rolled her eyes.  
‘It’s true, I am quite powerful in this form… when I wish to be.’ Sloth yawned again.  
‘I… welcome the opportunity, if it is my choice. The mages in the tower are quick to volunteer others, as you well know.’ Mouse sneered. ‘I’ll try. I’ll try to be a bear, if you’ll teach me.’  
‘Sloth murmured more sleepily ‘That’s nice, but teaching is so exhausting, away with you now…’. That friggin monster-bear SNORED.  
Mouse sighed in annoyance, ‘I told you he wasn’t going to help us…’  
Amelia tried to bury her frustration, this harrowing thing is SHIT! she thought, seriously, why was I even worried I would fail because of incompetence? I’m going to fail this shit because I’m going to lose my patience and I’ll explode, seriously!. She took a calming breath, ‘inhale, hold it, exhale, hold it. That’s it Ames slow but steady and now focus dammit!.  
‘Mouse wants to learn, teach him Sloth.’ Amelia said in a commanding voice.  
‘You wish to learn my form, little rat ? Then I have a challenge for your friend: Answer this riddle correctly and I will teach you, If you fail, I will devour you both, the decision is yours.’ Sloth said with the ghost of smile on his bear lips.  
‘Riddles? Are you joking?’ Amelia sighed. ‘I accept you challenge Sloth!’.  
‘Truly? This gets more and more promising’ Sloth grinned from ear to ear, resting his head on his front paws.  
‘The riddle is this: I have seas with no water, coasts with no sand, towns without people, mountains without land. What am I?’ Amelia repeated the riddle in her mind, ‘Come on Ames you can do this!’ she thought. Suddenly the answer popped in her head, ‘It’s a map!’ she said enthusiastically.  
‘Hmpf’ Sloth said, ‘You are correct… Care to raise the stakes, 2 more riddles?’ he asked.  
‘Bring it on’ Amelia grinned like a madwoman. ‘Uhm are.. you.. sure?’ Mouse asked fearfully.  
‘You bet!’ she answered coldly.

The sloth demon looked happy enough. ‘Well then, here is the second riddle: I’m rarely touched, but often held. If you have wit, you’ll use me well, what am I?’  
Again she repeated the riddle in her mind. And again with logic thinking she knew the answer; ‘A tongue!’, ‘Yes your witty tongue, fair enough, one more, shall we!’. The sloth demon licked his lips.  
‘Often will I spin a tale, never will I charge a fee. I’ll amuse you an entire eve, but alas you won’t remember me. What am I?’.  
Amelia didn’t even have to think about that one ‘A dream’ she almost shouted. Next to her, she saw Mouse relax visibly. Was he actually scared that she wouldn’t succeed?  
‘Hpmf, you are correct again! You’ve won my challenge and proven yourself an amusing distraction. So I shall teach the little rat my form. ‘  
After what felt like an eternity Mouse stood next to her in the form of a bear ‘So, like this?’ he asked, ‘Am I a bear? It feels… heavy.’ ‘Hm, yes yes, close enough’ Sloth murmured, ‘Go then and defeat your demon… or whatever you intend to do, I grow weary of your prattling!’ And with that he curled up… again. Practically snoring the moment his head laid upon his paws.  
‘So, let’s go kick some demon butt, shall we’ she looked at Mouse who was still in bear form, ‘yeah, this will only add to the confusion’ she thought.  
Amelia and Mouse ran to the clearing with the circle of fire, where Mouse had mentioned the demon would be waiting.  
Maker please, let there still be time for me to pass this stupid test! she thought worry clamping on every word.  
Once she and Mouse arrived at the clearing she saw a rage demon waiting for them.  
‘Oh boy!’ she murmured.  
‘And so it comes to me at last’ the demon said with a booming voice.  
‘Soon I shall see the land of the living with your eyes, creature, you shall be mine, body and soul!’  
‘It’s two against one, you’re really sure you can beat those odds?’ Amelia tried to put a hell of a lot confidence in those words.  
‘Amusing, have you not told it of our… arrangement, Mouse?’ The demon said with a sardonic grin on its fiery face.  
‘You have got to be kidding me’ Amelia cursed, ‘I knew there was something wrong with you!’  
‘We don’t have an arrangement, not anymore!’ Mouse said bursting with confidence.  
‘HUH, what in the makers name is happening’ Amelia was getting more confused by the minute.  
‘Aww, and after all those wonderful meals we’ve shared, now suddenly the mouse has changed the rules?’ the rage demon took a threatening stance.  
‘I’m not a mouse now! And soon I won’t have to hide! I don’t need to bargain with you anymore!’ Mouse sneered at the rage demon.  
‘We shall see’ the rage demon sneered back at Mouse.  
‘I feel like I’m imposing or something’ Amelia mumbled. But before she could say anything more, Mouse and the rage demon started their assault on each other.

Something in her gut told her to conserve her energy and let Mouse take the brunt of the fight. She let some arcane bolts loose, for show, to make it look like she was trying.  
When the rage demon was defeated Mouse changed back in his human form: ‘we did it, we actually did it!’ he laughed. ‘When you came I hoped that maybe you might be able to… but I never really thought any of you were worthy!’ he rambled.  
‘Uhm okay, you’re welcome’ Amelia said uncomfortably. ‘Something still is not right’ she thought.  
And then it just clicked.  
‘Sounds like your help was unusual, why?’ she demanded.  
‘You made me believe in you, you’re a true mage, one of the few,’ he said hungrily. ‘the others never had a chance. The templars set them up to fail, like they tried with you’, his grin turned animalistic now. Amelia’s disgust grew even more.  
‘I regret my part in it, but you have shown me that there is hope, you can be so much more than you know.’ The hunger in his eyes was showing fiercely now, she would not yield.  
‘So what is it that you think you can get from me’ she taunted.  
‘You defeated a demon, you completed your test, with time you will be a master enchanter with no equal.’ He drawled. ‘And maybe there is hope in that for someone as small and as… forgotten as me, if you want to help…’ ‘I see, I think I found my true test’ she mused mentally.  
‘There may be a way for me to leave here, to get a foothold outside, you just need to want to let me in…’. ‘Yeah, not helping with the creepiness, demon’ she thought.  
‘Why Mousie, I’m starting to think you’re the real test here!’ she drawled. ‘What are you babbling about!’ Mouse replied angrily. ‘Can’t you feel the sword at your neck? They believe all magic is evil, the fade evil. Once you are here, you become what they fear!’ he ranted. ‘Well, not to disappoint, but sometimes they are right!’ she made sure she accentuated those last three words.  
Something changed in his eyes then, and his voice didn’t sound like it had before, more, darker, more evil. ‘maybe they are right about you’ he drawled. ‘simple killing is a warrior’s job, the real dangers of the fade are preconceptions, careless trust… Pride.’

And with that he changed in his true form… into a mother f’ing pride demon. ‘Ah finally you show your true colors demon’ she sneered with as much venom she could muster.  
‘Keep your wits about you, mage. True tests NEVER end’ the demon drawled. ‘Are giving me advice?’ she tried to keep the right amount of venom in her voice, but she felt trapped and tired, she needed the test to be over, like right now! And when the demon started laughing, she became engulfed again in that white brilliant light and faded into blissful unconsciousness.


	5. I beg your Grey Warden?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Surviving her Harrowing and already on to new adventures, the Circle life sure isn't dull!  
> This chapter is a lot longer then the previous ones, I was on a writers high ;)  
> Hope you guys like it! I really enjoyed writing this =)

Amelia woke to the sounds of Jowan pacing near her bunk. ‘She’s going to be alright, she has to be… Otherwise she wouldn’t be here…’ he muttered.  
‘Jowan, dude, stop your blabbering and relax,’ Anders yawned. He had draped himself like one of those rich nobles you see on paintings in the bunk bed next to Amelia’s, Keili’s legs lay next to him and the rest of her on the floor, she lay on her back, hands fiddling with a light spell, she made sparkling figurines to pass the time. ‘If you haven’t noticed Jowjow, she’s opening her eyes’ Anders continued lazily.  
‘Seriously Anders, the way you are sprawled over that bunk you almost expect someone to feed you some grapes…’ Amelia grunted, she rubbed her eyes cursing the headache that formed behind them, while Anders smiled ‘Now that’s a fantastic idea Ames, there’s that genius brain of yours that we missed during breakfast!’. ‘Anders, Makers breath, can’t you give her a break?’ Jowan asked seriously. ‘How are you feeling Ames?’ Keili asked worried, ‘According to your lover boy Cullen you just set a new Harrowing record!’ she added with a grin.  
‘Ugh I feel like an ox trampled my skull,’ Amelia massaged her temples ‘and Cullen is NOT my lover boy’ she groaned. ‘Wait let me try this for a second’, Jowan placed his hands over her temples and summoned his healing energy. His hands glowed a faint greenish light sheen over Amelia’s face and after a couple of minutes she sighed contently ‘Thanks Jow, that feels much better, I owe you one!’ ‘Hah you’ll regret saying that’ he joked.  
‘Soooo…’ Keili started ‘What did you have to do, come on Ames spill it!’. ‘Keili you know better than to ask’ Anders answered tightly before Amelia could. ‘You guys are no fun’ Keili pouted.  
‘What time is it anyways?’ Amelia asked, a feeling of disorientation finally setting in. ‘Ames you finished your Harrowing in 40 minutes flat’, Jowan said impressed, ‘we still have the rest of the day to enjoy ourselves!’ Anders said grinning, the look he gave just seconds ago when he reprimanded Keili completely gone. ‘If it’s all right with you guys, I’m going to get some more rest…’ Amelia said quietly, ‘I’m still a little tired.’ She fumbled with her hands, did she really passed her Harrowing? Could it be really true? And that ‘warning’ that pride demon gave her, what did that mean? She had a feeling that sleep was going to be hard the next couple of weeks.  
‘Sure Ames, no problem, but we’ll still see you tonight, no?’ Jowan tried carefully, ‘yeah duh!’ Amelia gave a weak smile. Keili and Jowan seemed satisfied with that answer but Anders looked at her with knowing eyes. He passed his Harrowing a couple of months ago, so he kinda knew how she felt.  
Jowan and Keili were at the door and Anders almost caught up with them when Amelia asked ‘Hey Anders, would you… mind staying… just for a little while?’. ‘Sure thing cupcake’, he started towards her bunk. ‘May I?’ he asked overly polite and gave a deep bow. ‘Like the Antivans would say: Mi bunk, su bunk.’ She laughed. He draped himself over her bunk in the same pose as earlier.  
‘So you want to know how my Harrowing went’ Anders stated before she had a chance to ask. She sighed relieved he knew what she was going to ask.  
‘Yeah… I can’t believe I passed that test, I mean, it’s literally made to fail… literally designed to get tempted… Nothing we are taught is preparing us for this…sure we are taught to defend ourselves when we get physically attacked, but… not mentally’ Amelia’s eyes started to burn, ‘I mean if you do the same test with a templar, you’ll get the same outcomes as you have with mages, some pass, some… don’t…we mages are the only ones who get killed for it…’ she swallowed, a couple of tears rolling down her cheek. ‘You know sweetheart, after my harrowing I felt the same… It’s like they designed this test for… you know thinning the herd so to speak’ he answered quietly, ‘At least that was my theory about it, that’s also the reason why I don’t want to stay in the circle, I feel like if I stay, I will either end up tranquil really young, or just dead really young.’ Amelia looked at him for a couple of seconds, trying to will the tears away, trying to bite down that feeling of helplessness.

Anders carefully wiped her tears from her face with his hand. ‘Trust me when I say sweet pea, that the circle life will never be something you should worry yourself with. I have a feeling you are destined for some big things’ he smiled softly. His hand still cupping her face. Damn is hands were so gentle and yet she felt some rougher spots from handling and training with his staff on it. Should she… pull away? She never thought of Anders that way and yet… she felt something tightening in her lower belly. Jowan was like a brother to her and Anders was… well Anders was Anders. He was funny, too smart for his own good, protective when need be and a terrible tease, he flirted with the ladies of the tower young and old. Amelia always thought of him as family but right now her body seemed to have different ideas.  
She bit her lower lip and in response he licked his. Slowly their faces came closer inch by inch. He rested his forehead against hers ‘Ames, we really shouldn’t be doing this’ his voice almost a whisper.  
‘I know’ she answered hoarsely.  
Before Anders could claim her mouth they heard footsteps at the door. Both of them sprung from the bunk as if both of them were contagious. ‘Uhm yeah… Uhm… sorry about that’ Anders stuttered shyly. Amelia looked at Anders with disbelieve in her eyes. ‘You know Anders, we are both adults, we can make our own decisions…’ she started, ‘Trust me pumpkin, you don’t want to go there, especially with me…’ he snapped darkly.  
‘You have got to be kidding me, ‘ Amelia replied angrily, ‘for all that teasing and flir-ting, Anders, you sure are a scaredy-cat!’ ‘AMELIA!’ he shouted now, ‘Just… stop,… and leave me the hell alone!’ ‘Seriously?’ she shouted right back at him. They both looked intensely at each other. And then his whole face changed, like he was in agony, he opened the door to the dormitory and left her standing there alone with one last look ‘I’m sorry Ames’, was there a trembling in his voice? Did this just happened? She asked herself. Did she have… feelings… for Anders? If she was honest to herself, not really. She loved the guy like she loved all of her friends, they were her family by choice, bonded deeper than any family by blood.  
But why did her body responded so intense on his touch. She wasn’t a stranger to fumbling in a dark alcove, but the ‘real deal’? That was something she wanted to save for somebody she trusted with her life, someone she cared about… But Anders was such a person… wasn’t he? And he was a gorgeous man, his longer hair, his beard always in a effortless stubble, he smelled nice, and bathed regularly (something not all male apprentices and mages did even though they had an amazing hot spring in the tower). She gave a rumbling sigh, kicked her trunk, hurt her toe in the process and made her way limping to the door. She looked around the dormitory and realized she probably was getting a new room one level higher. ‘Hm, guess there is a silver lining after all’ she snorted to herself. Perhaps I can convince Anders to pay me a visit? Maybe we can recreate a moment such as… Who am I kidding, come on Ames get a grip over yourself! Seriously, she thought sternly to herself.  
When she opened the door she ran into a very hard and very cold templars breastplate, ‘Aw Maker, damn it!’ she cursed, ‘Oh.. uhm Amelia, uhm… I’m very sorry!’, ‘Oh hi Cullen, it’s okay I wasn’t paying attention, I should have heard you coming.’ Amelia tried to calm his nerves. ‘How could…’ ‘because of the clanking of your metal boots on the floor’ she smiled and winked. ‘Oh… of course…’ he stuttered. ‘Did you need me for something?’ Amelia asked, wanting to get away from the awkwardness, ‘Ah yes, Irving asked me to come and get you.’ ‘Okay, I’ll head over his study straight away!’ she started to the hallway but Cullen looked like he wanted to say something.  
‘I was…’ he started and she walked a little closer to him again. ‘I wanted to congratulate you on your Harrowing, it was the fastest I have ever heard of.’ He actually sounded impressed, ‘thanks’ Amelia nodded. ‘I… was the appointed templar… to give the killing blow, should you..’ he added quietly. ‘Oh, uhm that’s uhm…’ Amelia tried to find some words to give a coherent not awkward answer but nothing came to her mind. ‘I should probably go to Irving.’ She said, relieved he just nodded and backed away.

On her way to Irving several senior enchanters congratulated her with her successful harrowing, complementing on her time record.  
Before she knocked on Irvings door she heard him and Gregoir having a discussion, ‘… he’ll be here tomorrow and it’s just to check if someone is a suitable candidate to join Gregoir, it is not even certain he’ll find someone…’ ‘You know as well as I do he WILL find out about her and he will set his sights on her, I’m warning you Irving!’ Gregoir practically hissed at the first enchanter.  
She knocked on the door and entered the room almost immediately after, hoping it would pause both men. ‘This discussion isn’t over Irving.’ Gregoir grumbled, and with that he left the study.  
‘You asked to see me Sir?’ ‘Ah Amelia, yes child, first of all, congratulations on a spectacular Harrowing!’ he gave her a small hug, ‘I remember the day you arrived here at our doorstep, you emanated such raw power, and I just knew you would pass this test with flying colors!’. Amelia blushed a little from all the praise. ‘Thank you sir.’ She answered him shyly. ‘Secondly, gather your things and some of the tranquil will help you move them to you new room. As an official member of the magi, you will get a room on the third floor. If I remember it correctly you will share a room with Camilla’. Well that’s not so bad, Amelia thought, that nutty old bat sleeps more in the library at night then in her own room, so it could’ve been worse! ‘And also happy birthday, child.’ Irving smiled.  
‘Thank you sir, I’ll get my things right away!’ ‘Oh, and Amelia? Have fun and try not to get to drunk tonight, and pass the warning to your friends as well’ Irving winked. Her face got very red very fast, how did the old geezer knew? Did he have some mind reading ability? ‘Y..Yes sir!’ she managed to stutter.  
She didn’t wait till the tranquil came to help with the move. She didn’t want to waste time and after an hour or two she moved her stuff herself (not that she had a lot) to her new room, met with her new roommate - the nutty old bat Camilla- , and put all of her robes in the closet and some more personal stuff in her vanity. While she was moving her stuff she couldn’t help but think about her moment with Anders. Did he like her in that way? Okay he liked every female specimen but that’s beside the point, or was it? What is wrong with me? One good conversation and some puppy eyes and I feel like a hormonal adolescent again… When she thought back on his hand on her cheek, his mouth so close to hers, his eyes boring deep in hers, she felt that tightness in her lower belly again… Makers breath I’m hopeless, she thought with a lot of frustration. I need to make a decision about this… Do I want Anders? I think I do… I mean there is no one else whom I trust with my virginity, but… he’s probably very experienced and she wasn’t… He probably wasn’t interested in her like that…why do I still have doubts about this? Any other thought was interrupted by Camilla’s rambling.

Camilla left the shared room with the mention Amelia didn’t have to wait up for her, that she needed to do some more studying on some subject she was researching. Well that’s fine by me Amelia thought grinning widely. She passed Jowan, Keili and, and after much consideration, Anders the message that the boozing fest will be held in her new room.  
Before the others arrived she made sure she put on some eye makeup, just to make her green eyes pop a little more. and also a few drops of her favorite perfume on her neck and wrists (she only used it on special occasions since it was hard to come by in the circle but since she was attempting to seduce Anders, why not?). She knew she wasn’t ugly, but she also didn’t find herself beautiful. She wasn’t tall and slender like Keili, who had the body and the face of a goddess. She was always the smallest one of their group, and where Keili was slender, Amelia was the one with all of the feminine curves. She brushed her hair and braided it in her signature side braid. ‘Well,’ she murmured, ‘let’s get this show on the road!’.  
Keili was the first to arrive ‘ Well look at this little palace!’ she laughed approvingly. ‘there’s so much space, and you’re sharing this room?! I wonder when they’ll come and get me for my harrowing, ‘cause mama needs a new room!’ Amelia snickered in response ‘trust me, whenever they come and get you for your harrowing, it will be a hell of a lot to soon!’ Before Keili could ask more about the harrowing Anders and Jowan arrived. ‘Ah welcome my good sirs,’ Amelia said dramatically, taking a deep bow, ‘Can I offer the lady and gents a drink?’ She smiled showing of the bottles of brandy she snagged from knight-commander Gregoir. ‘Why lady Amelia, that would be most appreciated!’ Jowan answered in an overly acted polite way. ‘Now that’s an offer I can’t refuse!’ Keili piped in happily. Anders looked at her with question marks in his eyes.

After a couple of hours, a lot of drinks, one vomiting spree from Keili (followed by Jowan because he couldn’t stand the sound of Keili retching her guts out) later, Anders and Amelia were finally alone in her room. They carried Keili and Jowen to their dormitory and bunks so they could sleep it off, cleaned up the room and emptied the chamber pots filled with the result of Keili’s and Jowan’s efforts. They also made sure there were some small scented candles to make sure the smell of vomit was quickly replaced by a soft lemony scent.  
‘So uhm…’ Anders started at the same time Amelia said ‘I wanted to…’ the both looked at each other smiling softly. ‘You go first’ she said shyly. ‘I wanted to say I’m sorry for before… I shouldn’t have snapped at you like that, so… I’m sorry.’ He said quietly, looking at his feet, like he was trying to avoid looking in her eyes. ‘I wanted to apologize as well, I shouldn’t have pushed you like that…’ she started. ‘But… can I… ask you something?’ she tried carefully. ‘I know you don’t “like” me like that but…’ she started to blush, ‘the way you made me feel when you almost kissed me…’ Come on Ames just SAY IT she mentally pushed herself. ‘I don’t want to make you do something because you feel you have to or you’re going to regret it after’ Anders answered hoarsely, ‘I can’t give you more than this, than just physical Ames. You know I don’t plan on staying here in this shithole.’ ‘Anders, I want you to be my first, not because I’m IN love with you and expect to be in a relationship after this, but more than that I TRUST you with this… I love you like I love Jowan, and Keili…’, she felt that blush creeping down her neck, ‘my virginity is the one thing the circle doesn’t control, and the fact that you’re hot is just a bonus’ she tried to lighten this whole awkward situation. Anders looked at her in surprise, considering every word she said, but those last words seem to bring him right back in the present, ‘Soooo’ he started slyly, stalking towards her, while she backed away from him slowly smiling as well. When she was with her back against the closed door, he leaned over her with one arm against the door, pinning her there, the other locking it, ‘you think I’m hot?’ he grinned at her, lust filling his eyes. ‘I take it you’re accepting my offer then?’ she tried to sound confident but there was still doubt in her voice.  
Whatever she was going to say evaporated when he claimed her mouth with his.

She opened her mouth without question for him, giving his tongue the access it needed to battle with hers.  
He nipped her lower lip when he stopped for breath, she grabbed the band around his small pony tail letting his longer hair fall loose, grabbing a fistful of his hair, she urged him to reclaim her mouth again.  
She heard him letting out a low rumble, which made the tightness in her lower belly sink even more lower. ‘Get those robes out,’ he said while making quick work of his own robes.  
Before her robes touched the ground his lips were on hers again. He kissed her like a parched man in a dessert and she was the glass of water. His hands roamed over her back, her arms, resting on her hips while he kissed her neck, the soft spot right under her ear - where she apparently was a little ticklish since she gave a small giggle. He chuckled softly against her skin, the sensation giving her shivers. He continued kissing her collarbone, he fumbled a little bit with the clasp of her breastband. When it came loosely around her, she suddenly felt very conscious about her body, she tried to cover herself up with her arms. ‘You don’t even realize how beautiful you are, don’t you?’ he whispered hoarsely ‘Well I’m no beauty like Keili, that’s for sure,’ she tried to laugh it off, ‘Keili is overrated and I’m not here with Keili now, am I!’ his gaze turned very intense when he said that.  
He waited until she took the initiative again and she knew it, so she grabbed him by his hair again, to let him feel she wasn’t backing out. He started kissing the side of her neck again, giving an extra puff of breath on that sensitive spot below her ear, earning him another small giggle out of her. He continued his path over her collarbone again, he started kissing lower, sliding one of his hands up her side. She gasped when he licked the nipple of one of her breasts, kneading the other one with his hand. Suckling and teasing he made sure the other breast got as much attention as the other one, she felt like she was going to implode and he was only touching her breasts. She moaned his name, wanting him to take care of the heat centered in her core. ‘How about it, Ames?’ he asked while sinking slowly on his knees, ‘You want me to go further?’. She knew he asked it to make sure she was serious about this. Well no backing out she thought. He looked up to her and she looked down into his eyes, their gazes colliding and turning the moment even more sexually tense. Her core thrummed with anticipation, ‘Maker yes Anders, please’ she begged. He grabbed her small clothes with both hands and slid it down, letting her step out of them. She rested her back against the locked door and felt his breath over her sex, she looked down and seeing him on his knees face about to be buried between her legs made everything even more hotter for her.  
He lapped, licked, nibbled at her core, carefully inserting his index finger inside her opening. He made small pumping movements until she moaned ‘Oh sweet Maker, Anders faster!’ She fisted his hair. He chuckled, the sensation sending little electric jolts through her core, he added another finger and with that he started pumping faster, nibbling and sucking harder at the small bud. She felt the tension in her lower belly increasing. Right before she came, Anders withdrew his fingers and licked them clean, ‘Makers breath you taste so good, Ames!’ he grinned at her, slowly rising on his feet. He kissed her again and she felt his length in his small clothes, pushing against her lower belly. She grinned at him, sliding off his small clothes, and before she could touch him, he lifted her up and kissed her again, her legs circling him on his back. He made way to one of the beds, Amelia not wanting him to stop, didn’t care which one he chose. He laid her on her back and hovered over her, ‘you’re still sure,’ he asked with lust obviously in his eyes. ‘Anders if I wasn’t sure before, I wouldn’t have started this, I’ve already put up a barrier spell that I learned from Keili so the risks are little to none’ she snickered, ‘now please have sex with me!’ she almost sounded like she was begging him, desperation clear. ‘Your wish,’ Anders grinned while the tip of his cock probed her entrance, ‘is my command!’ and with that he slid into her from top to hilt, she gasped, experiencing a sharp pain, tensing up. ‘Don’t tense up, sweetheart, it’ll only make it more uncomfortable, try to tilt your pelvis a little and breath, I won’t rush you,’ Anders said, ‘Just tell me when the pain subsides’, She tried to follow his advice and tilted her hips a little, she took a couple of breaths, and just like Anders said, she felt the sharp pangs ebb away. She felt how tight she was around him, and when she was adjusted to him, she started to move on her own, ‘Well now, you taking all the initiative today?’ he joked, but when she rolled her hips he groaned, ‘Andrastes flaming knickers Ames!’. He slowly started to move in and out of her, kissing her and murmuring encouragements in her ear. She circled her legs around his back again, pushing him to go harder, faster. ‘Please Anders, harder… faster… NOW!’ she bit his shoulder trying to stay quiet even though she was giving small cries of pleasure. He started panting and groaning more, picking up the pace. He slammed into her now, not caring if it hurt, they both sought release, and they needed it now.  
Amelia started to rub her core as she felt the tension in her lower belly build, ‘Shit Ames, that’s hot!’ Anders said looking between them. He picked her up again and turned her on her belly, never leaving her body. ‘Get on your knees Ames’ he commanded hoarsely. She got on her knees but rested her head on her forearm, while the other kept on rubbing her core, Anders’ pace became more erratic, he pounded into her trying to seek the release they both craved. She felt the tension in her belly building and when she climaxed she screamed his name, only moments after her, she felt Anders burst his release inside of her, while he groaned her name as well.

Anders rolled on his back panting, grabbing Amelia so she rested her head on his chest while she traced imaginative shapes on his chest with her finger. ‘Well that was…’ she sighed happily closing her eyes enjoying the moment. ‘That was what?’ he asked mock hurt, ‘You can’t start that sentence without ending it, and now you have to say something positive!’ he grinned. ‘Hmmmm’ she just answered smiling, ‘It was… better than I expected’ she looked at him and winked. ‘Why thank you my sweet lady, I do try my best,’ Anders snickered. She laid her head on his chest again both enjoying the after bliss of their physical exploits.  
After a while she got up to get something to drink when she turned around she saw Anders draped on his side head resting on his hand while the other hand pumped his cock lazily, ‘So, wanna do it again?’ he grinned. She laughed and jumped back on the bed, barely holding back her enthusiasm.  
After a couple of rounds of humping each other, discovering each other’s body, and for Amelia finding out what she liked and how her body responded to some touches, they both were exhausted and Anders didn’t want to risk being caught by the templars in another mages’ room so he snuck back to his room. Amelia cleaned herself up and noticed how wobbly she was on her legs. She smiled to herself and thought ‘I’m soooo not going to say this to Anders, he’ll be so smug, there’ll be no living with him anymore!’. When she got back to bed, it didn’t took long until blissful sleep overtook her.

When she woke up in the morning she found the Camilla standing next to her with one brow raised ‘Uhm… Good morning roomie?’ She asked, ‘You know you’re in MY bed don’t you?’ Camilla asked. ‘Oh!’ Amelia started to blush, well guess I shouldn’t say I’ve been having crazy sex in her bed then she thought. ‘I… uhm am sorry? I think I drunk a little bit too much and I uhm.. I guess I chose the wrong bed?’ Camilla looked at her with a knowing look, eyebrow still raised. ‘Huh, and I guess the male voice shouting your name in pleasure was something you conjured with your imagination?’ Camilla asked smugly. Amelia didn’t just blush at that, she turned beet red instantly looking shocked at Camilla. ‘Don’t worry “roomie”, your secret is safe with me.’ Camilla winked at her, ‘I wasn’t old all my life, you know!’  
Amelia hurried out of bed washed herself, tried out a new style of braiding where she had two crowning braids coming together in one long braid, and took the sheets of Camilla’s bed, she owed the nutty old bat so taking the sheets for cleaning was the least she could do. She rushed to the great hall and she thought grab some breakfast to go so she could go and ask Wynne if she could help her get her healing skills a little more…, well skilled. Right now Amelia was a pureblood primal spell genius, every spell relating to the elements is a spell she’s mastered also the telekinesis spells are almost all mastered except the crushing prison spell. She was also a pretty skilled herbalist, but healing magic, that was something she had yet to master. But she saw Jowan, Keili and Anders sitting at a table together waving her over when they saw her. She waved back at them but shook her head, mouthing ‘going to study’ to them. Anders looked surprised and asked Keili something like ‘isn’t she a magical progeny?’, Keili shrugged and dug in her porridge. Amelia grabbed a plate and filled it up with fruit and bread and thank the Maker, there was cheese again! Before she could leave Jowan stopped her, ‘Hey Ames, can I talk to you for a second?’, ‘Sur Jow, what’s up?’. ‘Not here,’ He said nervously, ‘Can we talk later, I’ll come and grab you.’ ‘Yeah sure Jow, but you’re starting to worry me’, ‘No Ames, it’s ok! By the way did you just say you’re going to study?’ He asked surprised. ‘Yeah, my healing skills need to be on point, and since I succeeded my harrowing, I feel like the time is now’, She explained. ‘You’re crazy you know? You’ve got all that power at your fingertips and still you want to learn more?’ he asked with a look of disbelieve. ‘I want to broaden my options you know, I’ve been thinking about a lot of how I see my life, and honestly Jow, I don’t think I want to stay here in the circle.’ She said quietly, afraid of hurting her brother by choice.  
‘Oh wow Ames, I… don’t know how to respond to that…’ he said not expecting her to say that. ‘Yeah, I know. Look Jow, if it’s all the same, I’m gonna go search for Wynne, she’s one of the masters of healing, so, you know.’ She avoided looking him in the eye, a little afraid to find out was in them.  
‘Hey Ames,’ he said bumping her shoulder softly, ‘you know that you never need to defend any of your decisions to me, you’re my best friend in this dump.’ Her eyes started to burn and she gave him a shaky smile, ‘I know Jow, thanks… for reminding me.’ ‘By the way Ames’ he’s voice changing in a lighter tone, ‘you and Anders huh,’ Amelia stopped dead in her tracks and turned beet red again. ‘How did you?...’ ‘After my first vomiting spree In your room, yes I still remember that and sorry to leave you with the cleaning,’ he said a little ashamed, ‘You and Anders brought Keils and me to the dormitory, and I slept a good while, woke up, vomited some more, and then remembered I wanted to talk to you so I snuck back to your room but the sounds I heard weren’t from you and the old bat Camilla!’ he laughed, ‘I was still drunk enough, but I put two and two together’, ‘Oh sweet Maker!’ she sounded shocked, ‘Yup that’s one thing you screamed’ Jowan laughed even harder ‘Jow, seriously pipe it down, someone is going to hear you!’ ‘I think that ship has already sailed Ames!’ he snickered. She send a little jolt of lighting to him, ‘Hey now, don’t get cranky, Ames, you know I enjoy the very rare moments I can get a laugh out of something you did!’ He was still laughing. ‘Yeah yeah, the next time you need something of me, I’ll say no, just because you were laughing with me!’ she said mock hurt. But in response she saw Jowan flinch a little bit, ‘did I just saw that, or am I seriously imagining stuff?’ she thought

She gave him a fast hug, took her plate to the library, read a couple of tomes about the skill of healing to prepare herself and ate while studying. ‘Andrastes flaming knickers this cheese is divine!’ she sighed while eating a chunk of bread with too much cheese on it.  
‘Amelia, I heard you were looking for me?’ said Wynne from behind her. ‘Oh Senior enchanter… I didn’t expect you so soon here in the library!’ she said cleaning the breadcrumbs from her lap. ‘Call me Wynne, child, that is my name after all, no need for such formalities since a lot of us old geezers saw you growing up before our very eyes,’ Wynne smiled at her. ‘Thank you Wynne. I was wondering if you could help me study the art of healing. I’m not a bad herbalist, but my healing skills are basic at best, not really helpful in problematic situations, and I want to be prepared you know…’ Amelia admitted. ‘I would be glad to help , child. I see you’ve already got some of the more imported tomes analyzing the subject’. ‘Yeah I thought they could be a good preparation for our session.’ Amelia smiled. ‘Well you thought absolutely correct young lady, now, let’s get the studying started shall we!’ Wynne said enthusiastic while grabbing a chair.  
Wynne taught her 2 different kind of healing spells: the group healing spell, a spell that comes in very during combat and several team members have several injuries. It doesn’t heal everyone completely, but it made sure your team could continue fighting. The others spell was the healing spell Amelia wanted to learn. The one Jowan could perform without batting an eye – of which she was a little bit jealous. Wynne was actually a great teacher, why she hadn’t asked the senior enchanter earlier was a mystery to her. Wynne excused herself after an apprentice came to take her to Irving for a urgent meeting. Wynne had taught her the spells she wanted to learn, but she still researched them some more. When she closed the last tome of the stack she noticed it almost dark. She studied through lunch and she’s practically missing dinner! Hurrying over the great hall she grabbed another plate and put the one she used in the morning on the pile of dirty dishes from dinner. She grabbed some more bread and saw the cheese was out on display again ‘By all the love of what was good and holy in this world thank the Maker for the cheeeeeese’ she giggled. Grabbing some grapes and small bowl of nuts she made her way to an empty table, she read one of her ‘relaxing’ books – it was one that was smuggled in called ‘The lion and the servant’, a book about a chevalier whose in love with a servant, but their relationship can’t be so they have to sneak around and have a lot of sneaky sex. Maker bless the person that smuggled this trophy in! She loved that smutty literature! She also noticed a couple of the senior enchanters weren’t here as well as a couple of the older templars. She shrugged it off and ate her dinner while reading the book.

After her dinner she searched for Jowan and found him on her way to the apprentice dormitory. ‘Oh hey Ames! I’m glad I caught you!’, ‘Hey Jow, I was just looking for you, you said you wanted to talk this morning?’. ‘SHHHHHH! I just want to make sure we’re not overheard…’. –well that’s ominous, Amelia thought- ‘We should go somewhere else, I don’t feel safe talking here, can we go to your room Ames? I think I saw your roommate in the library…’ He said nervously. ‘Jow, what’s up I’m starting to get really worried’, ‘I’ve been… troubled… I’ll explain . Please let’s just go to your room!’. They hurried over to her room, on their way they got held back by a Cullen who stopped Jowan, ‘No apprentices aloud in the mage quarters!’ ‘I’m sorry sir, I just wanted to…’ Jowan started, but Amelia kicked his feet and took over the conversation, ‘I’m so sorry Cullen. But I just needed to talk to my best friend in private for a moment, and I thought my room was perfect for that, can I PLEASE take Jowan there just for a couple of minutes…’,Amelia said looking all innocent. ‘Yeah, we won’t be long!’ Jowan pleaded with her. Cullen sighed, ‘Alright, but no longer than 5 minutes!’ he blushed. ‘Thank you so much, Cullen! I won’t forget this’ she hugged him, feeling bad instantly for using him like that.  
‘When they got into her room, Jowan snickered ‘Great move, Ames, hugging the templar!’ ‘Jow, don’t, I already feel bad about it!’ she said embarrassed. ‘Besides, it’s your fault in the first place, you wanted to talk privately’ she looked up to him and saw him flinching a little.  
‘Ames, I need to tell you something and you need to promise me you won’t tell ANYONE about it!’ ‘Jow now you’re scaring me, and you know how I am with secrets! Bad that’s what I am with secrets! You guys always say I have no poker face…’ ‘I know I’m asking a lot Ames, but please I need you to promise me that you won’t tell a soul in here what I’m about to say to you!’.  
‘I REALLY don’t like it that you’re putting me in this situation, but because you’re my brother by choice, I guess I’ll try to suffer in silence’ she tried to sound confident, but her secret keeping skills were absolutely non-existing.  
‘I’ve been seeing someone in secret’ he started, ‘Oh Jow, that’s amazing! Who is she? Or he? It doesn’t matter if it’s a he or a she as long as you’re happy!’ Amelia cut him off ranting excited.  
‘Uhm Ames, I don’t think you’re going to like who I’m dating…’ Jowan said in a very small voice.  
‘Me and Lilly have been seeing each other for a couple of months now…’ ‘Lily… Lily, I think I remember the name, but not who she is…’ ‘Well that’s because you don’t spend a lot of time in the chapel…’ he answered with red cheeks. ‘ANDRASTES FLAMING KNICKERS JOWAN!!!! You’re having a relationship witch a Chantry INITIATE????’ Amelia tried to mute the volume of her shouts a little.’ Ames… SHHHHHH, Please, you promised.’, ‘Jowan this kind of shit is going to make you tranquil or even worse, they might even kill you for that stupidity!’ Amelia was shocked that she never noticed her best friend snuck off to the chapel, that she noticed it sooner he talked about a girl a couple of times, but he made it seem it wasn’t that serious. ‘Makers breath Jow…’ ‘I know Ames, but you can’t stop love, you know…’ He admitted. ‘But that’s not the worst… I’m fairly certain they are going to make me tranquil…’ he’s eyes got a little blury when he said that last word.  
‘Maker no…’ she gasped. ‘They are going to take everything that I am from me, my dreams, hopes, fears, my love for Lily… All gone…’ his voice tremble. ‘Jow… I don’t… Know what to…’ she felt her eyes burn to. ‘They’ll extinguish my humanity, I’ll be just a husk, breathing and existing, but not truly living.’ Amelia hugged her best friend, not knowing what else to say or do. ‘Why would they do that to you? Everyone knows you’re a good man!’ she tried. ‘There’s a rumor about me… some think I’m a blood mage…They think that making me a circle mage will endanger everyone…’ Jowan said, dread dripping from his whole demeanor. ‘Jow, how could this rumor start? I mean you know how gossip travels, what did you say or do? Amelia tried carefully, ‘You fucking serious Ames? They accuse me of blood magic, and the one person who knows that’s complete and utter bullshit is doubting me? Of course I’m not a blood mage!’ Jowan said angrily. Amelia flinched a little. ‘I’ve been sneaking around to see Lily and some just assumed I must be doing forbidden magic…’ He continued angrily.  
‘How did you find out about this anyway, how do you know for sure?’ she asked, a snipped of hope flaring in her gut.  
‘Lily saw the paperwork on Gregoir’s desk’ he answered. ‘Oh Jow,’ a sob escaped her.  
‘Lily and I have a plan, but we need… someone… an official mage… to help us… Will you please help?’ Jowan practically begged her. ‘Okay Jow, I’ll help, but you will owe me BIG time!’. He hugged her really hard when she said yes. ‘Thanks Ames, you won’t regret it!’ meet Lilly tomorrow morning in the chapel and she will explain the plan. ‘Oh you guys have been very busy!’ she sneered, ‘It’s getting dangerous for me Ames, I need to get out, I need my phylactery destroyed!’ ‘Look Jow, I understand, I really do, but that doesn’t mean I have to like It you know…’ ‘I know Ames, I just can’t stand it here anymore, and you succeeding your harrowing, it was just the last drop so to speak…’ ‘Look,’ she sighed, ‘We both need some sleep, and if I’m going to risk my ass, I REALLY need some sleep, Jow… I have to prepare myself mentally for that…’ ‘Okay Ames, sorry to drag you into this mess.’ ‘It’s okay Jow, you would this for me to’. She hugged him again, more to comfort her than him.  
‘Thanks again Ames, and sleep tight!’.  
‘Goodnight Jow!’ she said tiredly.

The nex morning Amelia woke up with lead in her legs. She didn’t want to go the chapel and talk to that Lily chick. ‘Seriously Jow, I’ve got to avoid people all day today, just because you sprung your newsflash on me’ she muttered under her breath while changing in her robes and braided her hair in that style with the two crowning braids that melted in one long side braid. She didn’t feel like eating because of the dreadful feeling she had, so she went straight to the chapel.  
That Lily chick was leading a prayer, with several templars and mages surrounding her. Yawn BORING Amelia thought. Amelia was never the person for faith or to believe in divine interventions. People will be people and you have to figure out which ones to trust and which ones will stab you in the back while smiling, that was her believe system. If you surround yourself with people you love, you will flourish, if you surround yourself with people who will pull you down every chance they get, you’ll wither away.  
Lily nodded when she saw Amelia approach and concluded the prayer.  
When everybody else left Amelia started, ’Look, I don’t know what your deal is with Jowan, but I swear to the Maker that if you hurt him…’ ‘Jowan told me I should’ve expected a warning about our relationship from you’. Lily interrupted her. ‘you’re going to get him tranquil, or even worse, killed! Seriously, you know the Chantry protects his own, but not the ones it’s guarding… You two should’ve known better’ Amelia sighed disappointed, but there was also an angry tint to her statement. ‘Oh? And you do know what’s best for Jowan I take it?’ Lily dared her. ‘I’m not saying I know what’s best, but you’re driving him into a situation where he, when it blow up in his face, he’s the one that’s going to suffer from it and not you…’ Amelia really tried her best to reason with Lily. ‘Look, I know you’re trying to look out for him, but we made our choice.’ Lily said like it was the end of the discussion. Amelia sighed defeated, ‘Just what do you guys need me to do…’ Lily smiled at that.  
‘We know that the phylacteries are held in the repository room. But to get there we need to get through a double locked door, both the first enchanter and the knight-commander hold a key to this door.’ ‘Are you out of your mind??’ Amelia hissed, you want me to risk my own safety to get the keys from not only the first enchanter, but the freaking knight-commander himself? What do you think I am? Suicidal??’ ‘Look we never said it was going to be easy…’ Lily tried to calm her down ‘No shit!!’ Amelia was furious. Come on Ames, calming breaths, try to ignore that stupid cow right in front of you, kick Jowans ass later she thought in a calming voice.  
‘I know we’re asking a lot of you, but you need to understand we will never be free to love each other out in the open, we’re always going to need to hide our relationship…’ Lily’s voice softened when she said it.  
‘Look both of the knight-commander and the first enchanter hold a key, but it’s just a door. There is power enough in this place to destroy all of Ferelden, what’s a door to a mage?’ Maker damn it, she made some really good points. Amelia sighed, ‘You both friggin OWE me if we’re still alive after this.’ She grumbled that last part.  
‘By the way, have you ever thought what we should do if it’s magically sealed as well?’ Amelia was really trying to think out all the scenarios here.  
‘We can’t get to the keys and get busted right away, but if it’s magically sealed I’m placing my trust in you and Jowans capable hands!’ Lily sounded confident. ‘Besides, Jowan told me he once saw a rod of fire melt through a lock, so maybe that’s a good plan B?’ ‘Yeah, and I suppose you need a official mage to get that rod, don’t you?’ Amelia asked sarcastically, ‘Actually we do!’ Lily smiled.  
‘Oh for fuck’s sake!’ Amelia complained. ‘Fine, I’ll try to get one from the stockroom…’ Amelia rubbed her eyes exasperated. ‘If it’s any consolation? Jowan really trusts you with this, I didn’t in the beginning, but I’m starting to see why he loves you like a sister.’ Lily sounded small. ‘When you grow up together, sharing sorrows, happiness and trust, you get those ties to someone’ Amelia retorted. Lily nodded. ‘Well, off I go to Owain and the stockroom I guess!’ Amelia wanted to leave that damned chapel as soon as possible. ‘When you get the fire rod, tell Jowan and he’ll tell you where to meet and when, okay?’. ‘Kay!’ Amelia hurried out of the chapel and straight up the stairs to the stockroom.

On the stairs she crossed paths with Anders, ‘Well if it isn’t one of my bestest friends, with a onetime benefit’ he grinned. She felt her core tightening when she thought back at their last encounter. Oh Maker and when he grinned like that she felt herself get wet all over again. ‘Hey Anders! Can’t really say what I’m up to, but if I make it through without getting tranquil or getting killed, we’re on for another set of benefits! She said quietly and with urgency in her voice. ‘Ames, what are y…’ he started worry clear in his eyes. ‘I really can’t say Anders… just…’ you know what, she thought and looked around to see if anyone was there, when everything was clear, she took his face in her hands and kissed him like there was no tomorrow, let him go and run off again. Anders stood there, practically in the same pose as she released him, surprise, shock and desire clear to read on his face.  
‘What in Andrastes ass is going on here’ he asked aloud. A templar that was climbing the stairs and was passing him looked in surprise, like he knew he missed a conversation, ‘beats me!’ he answered the mage.  
Amelia entered the stockroom and saw the tranquil Owain standing in front of the entrance. ‘Hey Owain, I need a rod of fire for… uhm an experiment, can I have one?’ she asked. ‘Hello Amelia, rods of fire serve many purposes, why do you wish to acquire this particular item?’ he answered in that typical monotone voice all of the tranquil had, ‘I need the rod for my… uhm research into euhm… burning things’ Amelia cursed herself she didn’t thought this trough as well as she thought she had.  
‘All right, here is the form –“request for rod of fire”- have it signed and dated by a senior enchanter. I will release a rod to you once I have the signed form’ Owain said. OH FOR FUCK’S SAKE!!!! She thought irritated. ‘Fine, fine all let a senior enchanter sign it’ she muttered.

She passed the guests rooms and saw one of the rooms being made in order. ‘Hm, guess someone is coming to visit us..’ she murmured. When she entered the laboratory she found senior enchanter Leorah grumbling about something. She kind of liked Leorah, she learned a lot herbalist skills from her. ‘Ah Amelia, can I help you with something?’ Leorah asked distracted. ‘I guess I can ask the same, is something wrong with the cavern store-rooms?’ she nodded to the closed door behind Leorah. Leorah looked around to see if anyone was listening in, ‘There is an… infestation of spiders in the caves… I don’t know how they got in there but it’s probably my fault…’ she admitted nervously. ‘I was promoted senior enchanter less than a fortnight ago and I don’t want anyone finding out, they’ll think I’m incompetent!’ she said ashamed.  
‘Leorah, you are one of the most skilled mages I know, you’re not incompetent!’ Amelia tried to comfort her. ‘Let’s make a deal, I help with your infestation –even though I really hate spiders!- and you sign my request a fire rod form?’ smooth Amelia, really smooth, she thought to herself. ‘Deal’ Leorah said without blinking. ‘here’s the key to the room, and good luck my dear. And thank you again!’.  
‘Alright, here goes nothing. Amelia entered the store rooms with no signs of spiders in sight. ‘Shit they are going to be further in the caverns…’ she grumbled. ‘Jowan owes me three times now, and if he ever has a daughter he has to name her Amelia!’ she kept on muttering, more to calm her nerves down than anything else.  
She blasted through the caverns, freezing and then obliterating the spiders with her stone fist spell. ‘Makers breath, I REALLY hate spiders’ she stated while brushing of a piece of spider flesh from her shoulder. ‘UGH! That is disgusting!’ she gagged.  
When she got back to the laboratory everyone noticed she entered because of the smell of exploded spiders – which is extremely smelly mind you – and Leorah gave her the signed form while covering her nose. ‘Here’s the form you asked, now I suggest you get washed up, ‘cause that smell is… seriously nasty’. ‘Gee thanks Leorah, I would think a little gratitude is in order no?’ Amelia grunted.  
‘No, don’t get me wrong, I am really, really grateful, you just… reek for the moment!’ Leorah laughed a little.  
Before Amelia went back to Owain she went to grab her stuff to get herself cleaned up, more importantly her lemon scented washing oil, and went to the bath house located in the not restricted area of the basement.  
It was something that was discovered after the tower was build. The people then noticed some of the walls always got moist and when they investigated they discovered a natural hot spring. They expanded and improved it so that all the inhabitants of the tower could make use of it. There were several sections, for the women, for the men and for the templars a more walled of section was created. Even though a lot of them didn’t care and tried to get a peek most of the times.

Amelia scrubbed herself severely making sure nothing of that disgusting spider smell stuck. She washed her hair and soaped it in with one her homemade products, -thank the Maker for her herbalist skills, ‘cause she loved her soaps and oils and lotions!  
She dried herself of and let her hair dry to the air, but let it fall loose, and put on her clean, clean robes.  
On her way to Owain she noticed a lot of people, (mostly men, but she didn’t want to acknowledge that because of her complexes) turned their heads towards her. Her beautiful auburn hair fell over her shoulders in waves a little bit lower than her waist, she didn’t want to braid it already because otherwise her hair tangled all up when she unbraided it. It was quite rare that she left her hair loose, so now that it was loose, people noticed it. She swept over one shoulder, getting a little insecure. Cullen’s eyes were wide when she passed him, she heard him muttering something about taking a cold bath as soon as possible, and smiled a little.  
Putting her stuff back in her vanity in her room, she made her way to Owain with the fire rod request form. ‘Hey Owain, here’s the form you requested!’ she handed him the form, ‘Splendid, here is the fire rod you requested’ Owain handed her the fire rod. ‘Be careful when you use it.’ He warned her. ‘I will don’t worry!’ she smiled.  
Leaving the stockroom she went to search for Jowan but bumped into Irving. ‘Ow, oh! I’m sorry first enchanter!’ ‘it’s fine child, in a hurry?’ he asked smiling. ‘Uhm I… Uhm kind…off?’ she stumbled. Shit why do I have to bump into the friggin first enchanter!! And I have to keep Jowans damned secret, screw this, I need a holiday, she rumbled in her mind. ‘Is there something wrong child, you know you can talk to me’ Irving asked, worry radiating from him. ‘I know, thank you, first enchanter, I’m fine or I will be…’ she answered him honestly, ‘just some things I need to take care of!’ she gave a small smile and hoped he was satisfied with the answer. ‘You’re not up to something, I hope’ Irving asked suspiciously. ‘No, not all!’ she answered surprised, her voice pitching higher again. ‘Ah, child before I forget, come by my office later when you have time!’Amelia nodded and hurried off without saying anything more. She searched the library for Jowan and found him studying one of the tomes she read in preparation for her session with Wynne about healing. ‘Pst, Jow, I’ve got the rod!’ Jowan’s face lit up when she said that. ‘Thank the maker! I really can’t stress enough how grateful I am that you’re helping me Ames!’ ‘You owe me three times, and you have to name your first daughter to me and then were cool!’ she hissed at him. He laughed at that ‘Deal!’

‘When do you want to do this thing?’ Amelia asked. ‘During dinner! That’s when the templars are in the middle of a guard rotation and go to dinner at the same time so there are fewer patrols to worry about! It’s the perfect time!’ He explained excitedly. ‘Where do I meet you?’ ‘Meet me and Lily in the chapel, from there we go to the basement and the repository together!’ he whispered. ‘Kay, see you later she said,’ handing him the fire rod. ‘See you later Ames, and… thank you again!’ he responded.  
When she was on her way to Irvings office she braided her almost dry hair in her usual braid, ready to slink back into the usual routine of almost everybody ignoring her. When she arrived at Irvings office she saw the first enchanter and knight-commander Gregoir getting in to a heated discussion with a bearded man she didn’t recognize. He wore really cool armor (long and shiny!), and he wore his blade and dagger like he certainly knew how to use them.  
‘Many have already gone to Ostagar- Wynne, Uldred, and the most senior mages. We’ve committed enough of our own to this war effort!’ Gregoir hissed.  
‘Your own?’ Irving answered sarcastically, ‘Since when have you felt such kinship with the mages Gregoir? Or are you afraid to let the mages out from under Chantry supervision, where they can actually use their Maker-given powers?’ He continued further. ‘How dare you suggest..’ Gregoir spit furiously when he got interrupted by the stranger ‘Gentlemen, please, Irving, someone is here to see you?’ Amelia blushed a little, ‘Uhm sorry to disturb, first enchanter and knight-commander… But you sent for me, first enchanter?’ ‘Ah, Amelia, child. Yes,’ Irving smiled proudly, ‘This is…’ The stranger asked, ‘Yes, this is she,’ Irving answered him. ‘Well Irving, you’re obviously busy, we will discuss this later…’ Gregoir grumbled. ‘Of course.’ Irving drawled. ‘Well then…. Where was I? Oh, yes. This is Duncan of the Grey Wardens…’ Amelia’s head snapped up in attention when she heard ‘Grey’ and ‘Wardens’ in the same sentence. ‘A Grey Warden? Here? In the tower?’ And you were asking for me?’ her voice got higher with every question she asked. Irving laughed quietly, ‘you’ve heard about the war brewing to the south, I expect? Duncan is recruiting mages to join the king’s army at Ostagar.’ Amelia almost jumped up and down at that ‘And you asked for me’ her voice was even in a higher pitch then before, but then she sobered up a little bit, ‘Uhm war? I guess I didn’t listen to the outside world news, what war? Who are we fighting?’ she asked. Duncan stepped up next to Irving ‘The darkspawn threat grows in the south. We need all the help we can get.’. ‘Uhm this is going to sound stupid, since I read almost every book in this tower’, - at least the ones she was allowed to read she thought- ‘but what are darkspawn?’ she asked a little embarrassed. ‘It’s okay to ask, it doesn’t say anything about your intelligence, but more about the fact that the Chantry shields the Circles from a lot of information about the outside world…’ Duncan said comforting, Irving snorted at the comment, ‘Darkspawn are twisted monsters that dwell underground, where the sun’s light cannot touch them. They have formed into a horde in the Korcari Wilds and threaten to invade north into the valley.’ Duncan explained to her. ‘I fear if we don’t drive them back, we may see another Blight…’, ‘Duncan! You worry the poor girl with talk of Blights and darkspawn. She should be still celebrating for accomplishing such a successful Harrowing and her 18th birthday’ Irving cut in. Duncan sighed at that, ‘We live in troubled times, my old friend…’ Amelia had a feeling there was a really interesting story behind how Duncan and Irving had met. ‘We should seize moments of levity, ESPECIALLY in troubled times.’ Irving insisted. ‘The Harrowing is behind you, your phylactery was sent to Denerim. You are officially a mage within the Circle of Magi!’ ‘My leash you mean…’ she muttered under her breath. Irving cocked an eyebrow at her muttered comment. ‘You may not remember, but blood was taken from you when you first came to us, this blood is preserved within a phylactery’ Irving wanted to explain but Duncan interrupted ‘So they can be hunted if they turn apostate…’ he grumbled. ‘Actually first enchanter, I do remember, it stung like a b… Uhm well it hurt a lot, but then you healed the cut in my hand, and that’s when I knew I had to study and work my ass off to become as skilled as I am today, so one day I could surpass you!’ Amelia said passionately. Irving smiled full of emotion at her and nodded his thanks, ‘We have few choices, the gift of magic is looked upon with suspicion and feat. We must prove we are strong enough to handle our power responsibly,’ Irving tried to defend the Circles point of view. ‘You, my sweet child, have done this! I present you with your robes, your own staff and a ring bearing the Circle’s insignia. Wear them proudly, for you have earned them, as well as our respect!’ Irving stated proudly. ‘Th… Thank you first enchanter!’ Amelia was surprised by this. Duncan looked at her with a look in his eyes she could not place. ‘Oh and Amelia,’ Irving said serious now, ‘It goes without saying that you shall not discuss the Harrowing with those who have not undergone the rite.’ Amelia nodded. ‘Now then, child, take your time to rest or study in the library. The day is yours!’. ‘Thank you first enchanter!’ Amelia didn’t believe he just gave her a day off! Now she could practice the healing spells Wynne had taught her in her room, and read up on some other things.

‘If it’s all right I would like to return to my quarters’ Duncan sighed tiredly ‘It was hard journey and I would like to take my leave tomorrow, and I also have to stack up on supplies.’ Irving nodded in agreement ‘Would you be so kind as to escort Duncan back to his room, Amelia?’ ‘Of course!’ She said and nodded to Duncan to follow her.  
‘The guest quarters are on the east side of this floor, close to the library.’ She explained to Duncan so that he could get orientated. ‘If you’ll both excuse me, I have some matters to discuss with Gregoir’ Irving grumbled.  
Amelia led Duncan to his room while they both made some small talk, she tried to pry some more outside world information out of him and he indulged her. He talked about his travels from Ostagar to Denirim and Redcliffe. He asked her about the books she was reading and he told her the titles of the ones he was reading, she laughed when she heard him say his favorite story since he was a child was ‘The adventures of the black fox’. When they reached his room he entered and he unbuckled his sword scabbard and also removed his dagger. He saw her shuffling in the door opening. ‘Is there something else I can do for you?’ ‘Uhm, Do you know how many mages are helping with the war?’ she asked shyly. ‘When the king sent out the call, the circle of Ferelden sent only 7 mages to Ostagar, I asked king Cailan’s permission to come and seek a greater commitment from the Circle. I hope to place a mage or two within every contingent. I cannot do with just 7…Mages will make all the difference in this battle. The darkspawn have their own magic and our resources must exceed theirs.’ he explained patiently. ‘Do you think I could join the army?’ she asked hopeful. ‘I don’t know, do you?’ he countered. ‘I doubt I would be allowed to go…’ she sighed disappointed. His gaze softened a bit after her answer, ‘I sometimes wonder if the Chantry’s many laws regarding magic are necessary… Darkspawn are a greater threat than blood mages, even abominations… It takes decades for the world to recover from a Blight. I wish the Chantry would and could see that. We must stop at nothing to defeat the darkspawn,… Ah, Listen to me, an old man’s ranting can’t be very interesting.’ He sighed tiredly.  
‘No don’t be, It’s refreshing to hear a shared opinion from a non-mage person, so I kind of learned something from what you said’ she said approvingly.  
Duncan chuckled at that, ‘Ah you’re too kind, child!’ ‘I shouldn’t be bothering you anymore, you must be tired.’ Amelia gave a small smile. After that they both said their farewells.

Right before dinner she grabbed a piece of bread so she could nibble on it while she made her way over to the chapel where Jowan and Lily aka is bad decision were waiting for her.  
‘Oh, Ames you’re here!’ Jowan tried to be quiet but enthusiasm was dripping from him. ‘Yeah, yeah let’s get this over with shall we?!’ Amelia’s nerves were killing her. ‘You okay Ames?’ Jowan saw she was really uncomfortable with the whole situation. ‘Not really, Jow, I just hope both of us make it out of this safely, you know…’ Jowan gave her fast hug, ‘It’ll be alright! Trust me!’ She took a deep breath and nodded. ‘Let’s do this shit’ she gave Jowan a reassuring smile. ‘To the repository then! Freedom awaits!’ Lily said enthusiastically.  
The three of them hurried down the basement door and turned away from the bath house to the restricted area part of the basement.  
Amelia had a really bad feeling, but tried to suppress the feeling – Please Maker if you do exist, please let this plan succeed- she thought fearfully.  
They arrived at the door were both Irving as Gregoir had a key for. ‘The Chantry calls this entrance “the Victims’ door”. It’s build of 247 seven planks, one for each original templar. It’s a reminder of all the dangers those cursed with magic pose.’ Lily explained, Amelia shivered and Jowan nodded, clearly interested in everything that that cow said. ‘How do we get past it?’ Amelia asked. ‘The doors can be opened only by a templar and a mage, entering together. The Chantry provides the password, which primes the ward and the mage touches it with mana to release it.’ ‘Since you have the password, can’t Jowan help you enter?’ Amelia asked. Lily shook her head ‘The ward only responds to the touch of a mage who has been through the Harrowing…’ Maker damn it all Amelia thought.  
‘So what do we do?’ Amelia asked, ready to get this over with.  
‘First the password!’ Lily turned to the door lifted her hand to it. ‘Sword of the Maker, Tears of the Fade’ they all heard a rush through the door, ‘The password primed the door, now it must feel the touch of mana, any spell will do, but you must hurry now!’ Lily explained. Amelia prepared a basic arcane bolt and aimed at the door, flinging it with some flair they all hear that rumbling in the door again and then the door clicked open.  
‘Well that’s a tad anticlimactic’ Jowan muttered. ‘What did you expect?’ Amelia snickered, ‘To be honest some guardian telling is we were worthy or something’ Jowan shrugged. They entered the open door each of them had their guard up.

They got up to the door of the repository. ‘Do you have the rod?’ Amelia asked Jowan, he passed her the rod and she tried to melt the locks off, but nothing happened. ‘What’s the matter, why isn’t it working?’ Lily asked, a little fear coming off of her. ‘I don’t know, I only use this kind of rods to start my fireplace…’ Amelia shrugged. ‘Try a stonefists spell Ames!’ Jowan urged her. Amelia powered up for the spell and let it loose, but before it connected to the door it evaporated. ‘Well that sucks!’ Amelia said. ‘These wards carved into the stone… This must be the templar’s work, they negate any magic cast within this area… I should’ve guessed! Why would Gregoir and Irving simply use keys for such a door, because magical keys don’t work!’ Lily said exasperated. Amelia nodded, ‘How do you keep mages away from something? Make their powers completely worthless!’  
‘I guess we have to find another way in!’ Jowan said disappointed. ‘Let’s hurry!’ Lilly said urgently.  
They had to fight of spirit guardians that were placed there to protect the way to the repository. They found a dusty room full of magical artifacts, including a Tevinter statue. Amelia stopped right in front of it. ‘There’s something odd about that statue’ Jowans said pensive. Amelia nodded, ‘Yeah, it gives off power, like it’s actually alive or something’.  
Suddenly they heard a feminine voice booming from the statue, ‘Greetings’. ‘ANDRASTES FLAMING KNICKERS!!!’ Amelia yelled, ‘Did it just say something??’ Jowan scrambled backwards to stand at Amelia’s back. Lily just turned as white as a sheet.  
‘I am the essence and spirit of Eleni Zinovia, once consort and advisor to Archon Valerius, Prophecy my crime, cursed to stone for foretelling the fall of my lord’s house.’ The statue boomed.  
‘Archon Valerius?’ Amelia whispered to Jowan, ‘I’m not sure! The archons where the lords of the Imperium…’ He whispered back to her.  
‘Forever shall you stand on the threshold of my proud fortress, he said and tell your lies to all who pass… But my lord found death at the hands of his enemies and his once proud fortress crumbled to dust, as I foretold.’ The statue told her story. ‘A Tevinter statue! Don’t listen to it! The Tevinter lords dabbled in many forbidden arts! This is wicked thing!’ Lily said terrified.  
‘How did a Tevinter statue get here?’ Amelia wondered. ‘Weep not for me, child. Stone they made me and stone I am, eternal and unfeeling. And I shall endure ‘til the Maker returns to light their fires again. ‘ ‘Did that sound like a prophecy to you guys? I think she… just prophesized the return of the Maker!’ Amelia sounded awed.  
‘It sounded like ambiguous rubbish to me, it could mean anything!’ Jowan pierced her bubble.  
‘I can do it too: “the sun grows dark, but lo’ Here comes the dawn!’ he continued sarcastically. Amelia rolled her eyes. ‘Stop talking to it, please, both of you!’ Lily pleaded.  
‘As much as it pains me to say, Lily’s right, let’s go’ Amelia said smugly.  
They continued their way through the room when Jowan stopped by hound like statue faced to very fragile looking wall.  
‘What do you think this does?’ he asked Amelia with curiosity filling his eyes. ‘Lily rubbed her arms, ‘Why does the Circle keep so many Tevinter artifacts in storage?’ she complained.  
‘Why is the Chantry filled with obnoxious people?’ Amelia muttered under her breath.  
‘It’s history Lily…, And it’s fascinating!’ Jowan ignored Amelia’s muttered comment. ‘I can’t really say what this thing does, though…’ Amelia studied the statue.  
‘I’ve seen pictures of things like this, They amplify any spell cast into them.’ Jowan said crouching next to Amelia to study it.  
‘Soooo, if I use my stonefist spell, this could break that wall, that’s probably the same room diving us from the phylactery chamber?’ Amelia asked Jowan slyly, He gave her a knowing smile, ‘I bet it does Ames!’  
‘Or we could use it to amplify the rod’s use?’ Lily asked, ‘Hm! Well whaddya know, our initiate isn’t as dumb as I thought her to be!’ Amelia said. ‘Ames, please…’ Jowan sighed. ‘What? I told her she was right! No?’ ‘Jowan sighed. ‘Let’s get that bookcase out of the way, shall we?’ Amelia just nodded.

When the bookcase was out of the way, the trio took place behind the statue, ‘Use this with the rod! I’m sure it’ll work. Hurry, the clock’s ticking!’ Jowan urged.  
‘Hold your horses, Jow, you want to do this rashly or safe…’ Amelia reasoned.  
Amelia placed the rod at the back of the hounds head and a bright light was building up in the mouth of the beast.  
With a blast of raw fire magic, the wall crumpled down. ‘Well I guess we can all conclude that it wouldn’t have mattered if I used my stonefist spell or this!’ Amelia snickered.  
Both Jowan and Lily rolled their eyes at her, ‘What? Can’t you just indulge me and say “You were right Amelia” just once!’. Amelia said mock hurt.  
‘You should’ve been drafted in the theater!’ Jowan muttered. Amelia laughed at that.  
When they entered the phylactery room, they got attacked again by more powerful guardian spirits. Once they were dispatched the trio made their way up the stairs where a rack full of phylacteries stood.  
‘Let’s find Jowan’s phylactery!’ Lily sounded excited.  
They searched through the rack when Amelia found the phylactery with Jowans name on it. ‘Well well, I never thought your family name would be Neach-brathaidh, Jow’ Amelia giggled. ‘Well its better than “gan Teaghbach” like you!’ Jowan sneered, also trying to sound mock hurt. ‘Oh!’ Lily said surprised, ‘I didn’t know you were a Chantry-orphan Amelia!’ I was until I was 6 years old and I showed signs of magic, but since I went to the circle that was also in supervision under the Chantry they let me keep the Chantry-orphan name.’ Amelia explained.  
‘You really did, Ames, you found my phylactery! I can’t believe this tiny vial stands between me and freedom!’ Jowan practically glowed. ‘So fragile, so easy just to be rid of it, to ends its hold over me…’ he said, and then he just opened his hand and dropped his phylactery. Jowan looked at the shattered pieces, ‘And you say I’m the drama queen!’ Amelia snickered. Jowan laughed at that, ‘I’m free!’ he stated proudly.  
‘Let’s get the hell out of here before we’re caught!’ Amelia said.  
They made their way through the winding halls, back to the entrance of the restricted area. When they entered the main hall Jowan practically jumped up and down, ‘WE DID IT! I can’t believe it! Ames, thank you so much, we could never cou-…’, They heard the clinking of a lot of metal boots on the floor and Irving and Gregoir and a lot of templars rounded the corner, ‘So what you said was true Irving…’ Gregoir said.  
‘Shit! I knew this would end badly’ Amelia hissed terrified. ‘Gregoir…’ Lily started.  
‘An initiate conspiring with a blood mage? I’m disappointed Lily!’ Gregoire let his angry voice fill the room. He walked up to the trio slowly.  
‘She seems shocked, but fully in control of her own mind! Not at all a thrall of the blood mage then…’ Gregoire eyed Lily suspiciously, looking for any signs of mind control.  
‘You were right, Irving.. The initiate has betrayed us. The Chantru will not let this go unpunished!’  
His eyes locked on Amelia, who tried to look down the entire time, finding her leather boots very interesting right about now, ‘And this one! Newly a mage, and already flouting the rules of the Circle!’ Gregoire’s voice boomed. ‘I’m disappointed in you Amelia? You could have told me what you knew of this plan, and you didn’t? I knew you were hiding something…’ The fact that Irving said he was disappointed wasn’t as bad as she saw how hard she disappointed him on his face. Amelia’s eyes started to burn, she swallowed a sob. ‘You don’t care for the mages! You just bow to the Chantry’s every whim!’ Jowan shouted.

Amelia gave Jowan a look of shock and then gave him a little punch in his back ‘Try not to make it worse you idiot!’ she hissed.  
‘ENOUGH!’ Gregoire boomed. Filling the room up until the sound bounced from the ceiling. Lily and Amelia flinched, but Jowan stood with a straight back, right in front of Gregoire .  
Oh sweet Maker, please don’t let Jow do anything stupid! She thought, still terrified.  
‘As knight-commander of the templars here assembled, I sentence this blood mage to death!’ Gregoir pointed his finger to Jowan, and to Amelia the world started to slow down, her tears flowing freely now. The assembled templars unsheathed their swords and positioned themselves in a wide circle around them. ‘And this initiate has scorned the Chantry and her vows… Take her to Aeonar!’ He continued darkly.  
Lily backed away to the basement door, all blood drained from her face, ‘The… The mage’s… prison?? No… Please!! No… Not that!!’ she started to shriek.  
Jowan was placing him before her slowly blocking her so the approaching templars couldn’t reach her immediately. Amelia saw a strange look in Jowans eyes and saw him grab a dagger he wore –WHY THE FUCK DIDN’T I NOTICED THAT BEFORE she screamed in her mind.  
‘NO!! I won’t let you touch her!!’ He raised the dagger from behind him and held it above his hand, ‘Jow… What.. are you doing??’ Amelia felt the blood draining from her face as well, ‘Please Jow, you’re… Not serious… It’s not worth it… Please!!’ Amelia sobbed, Lily looked at him with pure terror in her eyes.  
Jowan looked at Amelia and just said: ‘It’s just a matter of survival… Sorry Ames, I love you!’  
At that moment he raised his dagger and plunged it into his hand, his scream filled the room and the room started to shake. The approaching templars were backing away slowly, swords raised at Jowan.  
Amelia and Lily were also backing away. ‘SHIT! JOW!’ Amelia yelled with trembling voice.  
Jowan let the blood coming out of his wound float around him, raised his arms slowly and then brought them down with a powerful swing. The next thing Amelia knew every single one of them was flying down on the ground. Irving and Gregoire were down for the count, one of the templar’s neck was bent in a wrong angle, another’s leg was bent at the knee in a wrong angle and the other two – she hoped- were also down for the count.

Amelia felt something wet fall into her neck and she felt at the back of her head, feeling a gash there. She slowly tried to reach Irving, to see if he had no serious injury. She hear Lily hiss at Jowan: ‘By the Maker, Jowan…Blood magic?? How could you… You said you never…’. ‘I admit, I dabbled… thought it would make me a better mage…’ Amelia’s head snapped up ‘So you just lied in my face about? You asshole!’ She screamed at him. He looked at her as if she slapped his face, the look of shame eminent. ‘Blood magic is EVIL, Jowan… It corrupts people, changes them…’ Lily backed away some more.  
‘Lily please!’ Jowan begged, ‘I’m going to give it up, all magic, I just want to be with you! Please Lil, come with me!’ he’s begging turned desperate.  
‘I… Trusted you…’ lily sobbed, ‘I was ready to sacrifice EVERYTHING for you! I… I don’t know who you are… A filthy blood mage… STAY AWAY FROM ME’ she started to sound really hysterical.  
Jowan’s face was contorted with hurt, he looked at Amelia and again he just said ‘I’m sorry Ames!’ And then he ran off.  
Amelia rushed to Irving’s side and checked his pulse the way Wynne thought her. Good, he was just unconscious. She checked Gregoire and healed a gash at his forehead, he started to blink his eyes as he woke up. Amelia checked the Templar with the broken knee, ‘This is going to hurt a lot, but I have to pull your leg into the right position before I can heal it correctly’ she explained methodically. The templar nodded and braced himself. Before she could pull his leg, Gregoire sat down behind him, holding him down and gave a small nod to Amelia. She swallowed and took a deep breath and made a short snapping motion with the lower leg, to put in the correct healing position. The templar screamed, and then fainted. Amelia started to heal the knee at the joint. ‘He’ll be okay for now, but to be on the safe side, make sure his knee and lower leg are checked later by a more experienced healer,’ she said with a small quivering voice to Gregoire. He just gave her another nod. Amelia checked every templar and had to call 2 templars deceased. She slumped down on the ground after that, sitting on her bum for a couple of minutes, she took a couple of calming breaths when she suddenly felt a weird tingling sensation on the back of her head and saw Irving was back on his feet and healing the gash on the back of her head. In all the confusion when Jowan took off - she felt a pang in her heart at that-, she forgot to heal herself.  
‘Are you all right, child?’ Irving asked gently. ‘No,’ Amelia sobbed, ‘I’m not!’ Irving gave her a hug and she clamped on him and let it all go, Irving just stroked her head and offered an occasional soothing word. She cried really hard and after what she felt was hours, she tried to calm her sobbing and took a couple of calming breaths.  
Gregoire had watched them and had given her some space, but now he turned to Irving, ‘I knew it…, blood magic, but to overcome so many… I never thought him capable of such power…’  
‘I didn’t know he was looking in to this… I never…’ Amelia said with a broken voice. ‘None of us expected this… Are you alright Gregoire?’ Irving asked. ‘Thanks to the young lady over there, I am’ he admitted sourly ‘But if you had me act sooner, this would not have happened!’ Gregoire raised his voice and Amelia flinched again. ‘Now we have a blood mage on the loose and no way to track him down’ he hissed at her. ‘Where is the girl’ he demanded. ‘I… am here…Ser..’ Lily crawled up from her corner from where she had been hiding… it was also clearly she feared for her life when Amelia saw the stain on the pelvic part of the woman’s robe, she wetted herself… ‘You helped a blood mage! Look at all he has done!’ Gregoire’s voice got that booming quality again.  
Amelia took Irvings hand in hers to seek some strength, Maker knows she will still need it. ‘Knight –commander I… I was wrong… I was accomplice to a… Blood mage’ Lily sobbed again. ‘I will accept whatever punishment you see fit… Even Aeonar…’ That chick has balls Amelia had to admit that. She was crying her eyes out, but did it with a straight back, She still had her dignity.  
‘Get her out of my sight!’ Gregoire rumbled disgusted.  
‘And you!’ he yelled at Amelia, she tried to back away slowly, but bumped into Irving who tried to steel her for the yelling she was going to have… ‘You know why the repository exists, some artifacts – some magics are locked away for a reason!’ Gregoire shouted at her.  
‘Did you take anything of importance from the repository, child?’ Irving asked patiently, ‘No, I didn’t first enchanter…’ Amelia answered truthfully.  
‘Very well, I believe you!’ Irving stated. ‘But your antics have made a mockery of this Circle!’ gregoire grumbled. ‘What are we to do with you…’  
‘Look, I didn’t know he was a friggin blood mage, he betrayed me as well as you’ tears threatened to well up again, but she pinched her eyes close, pushing them back again.  
‘You helped a blood mage ESCAPE! All our prevention measures, for naught! Because of YOU!’ Gregoire started to shout again.  
Before Gregoire could say anything else, Duncan entered the room.

‘Knight-commander, if I may…I am not only looking for mages to join the king’s army, I am also recruiting for the Grey Wardens.’ He explained patiently, walking up right beside Amelia.  
‘Irving spoke highly of this mage, and I would like her to join the Warden ranks!’ Amelia felt a flicker of hope starting in het gut, she may survive this after all!  
‘Duncan…’ Irving sighed, ‘This mage has assisted a maleficar, and shown a lack of regard for the Circle’s rules…’ –scratch the flicker of hope, it died out when Irving spoke. ‘She is a danger to all of us’ Gregoire added. ‘How am I the danger here? I didn’t use blood magic?!’ Amelia defended herself.  
‘It is a rare person who risks all for a friend in need!’ Duncan stated calmly, ‘ I stand by my decision, I will recruit this mage’. ‘NO! I refuse to let this go unpunished!’ Gregoire shouted (again).  
Amelia flinched and looked up to Irving who looked defeated.  
‘Gregoire,’ Duncan’s voice still very calm – how did he do that Amelia wondered – ‘Mages are needed. This mage is needed. Worse things plague the world than blood mages… you know that’ Duncan did his best to reason with the knight-commander. ‘I take this mage under my wing and I’ll bear all responsibility for her actions.’  
‘So a blood mage escapes, his accomplice is not only not punished, but is rewarded by becoming a Grey Warden?’ Gregoire spat at Duncan, ‘Are our rules nothing? Have we lost all authority over our mages? This does not bode well, Irving’ Gregoire ranted.  
‘ENOUGH!’ Irving hissed and suddenly everything became really quiet. Even Duncan cocked an eyebrow. ‘We have no more say in this matter’ Irving continued calmly again.  
‘So… What’s going to happen now?’ Amelia asked in a small voice, looking pleadingly at Irving.  
‘WE, will make our way to Ostagar, where the king’s army is camped. You will be initiated there and I will explain more when the time comes.’ Duncan said quickly before anyone could interfere.  
‘Can I go and pack my stuff first? And you know… Say goodbye to some of my friends?’ she asked Duncan. He nodded, ‘you’ll get thirty minutes, after that we must leave!’.  
She ran off to her room, tears flowing freely again.  
She packed her stuff in record time. She only took an extra robe, her hairbrush, her Circle ring, a sketch Anders had made of her, Keili and Jowan a couple of years ago. She also put her blanket from her bed in the pack, you never know! And some hair bands… Maker knows with her hair she will need them.  
She found Keili in the library, explained herself in five minutes, hugged her tight, almost started to cry again and ran off to find Anders. She asked a couple of mages who thought that Anders was in his room.  
She ran. She entered his room panting. ‘Ames? Are you okay?’ he asked worried. ‘No… I’m not…’ she dropped her pack ran to him and kissed him again. Anders broke the kiss off, ‘Ames what the hell is going on here?’ he demanded. ‘Short version? Jowan is a blood mage, tricked me into destroying his phylactery, ran amok, I got blamed as well and now I’m recruited into the Grey Wardens…’ Anders paled, ‘Ames…’ ‘Anders, don’t stay here… It’s only going to get worse now…’ He cupped her face and kissed her again. ‘I always knew you were meant for great things!’ he whispered in her ear. Amelia hugged him, ‘I hope I see you again someday, Anders! I’ll miss you my friend.’ Anders had tears in his eyes as well, ‘Agh, I’m bad at goodbyes Ames’ He hugged her even tighter. She pulled herself loose nodded at him and ran off again.  
She ran to Duncan. And more importantly, to freedom.


	6. New Warden on the block

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the kuddos! I really appreciate it! 
> 
> In this chapter Duncan and Amelia arrive at Ostagar and get a royal welcome aaaand she gets to meet up with ALISTAIR!!! WOEHOE

When they left the main hall and stepped outside, Duncan asked ‘Do you need a moment child?’ ‘Nope, I’m good, I… just want to get the hell away from here!’ She gave the Warden a small smile. ‘You sure, you’ve been through a lot lately and you look a little green..’ Before Duncan completely finished that sentence she vomited all over the threshold. ‘Yeah…, I’m… fine now!’ she wiped her mouth with her sleeve. Duncan cocked his eyebrow again, ‘You sure? I don’t want you to repeat that in the boat when we’re in the middle of the lake’ he grinned at her.  
‘Why, Duncan!’ she grinned right back, ‘Is that a sense of humor I’m detecting?’ Amelia’s grin became even wider while she boarded the boat. Duncan just chuckled in response, ‘Why does it always have to be me to recruit the funny ones’. Amelia started to laugh so hard she fell of the boat bench on her butt.

When they moored at Calenhad docks, Duncan checked Amelia’s equipment. ‘Your boots aren’t proper traveling and fighting material, you’re going to need some new ones fast’ he said critically. ‘These are just two months old?!’Amelia answered surprised. ‘How are these not good?’ she asked curiously. ‘They need to be made out of sturdier material or inscribed with runes’ Duncan said. ‘Also very smart of you to bring an extra blanket! You never know when you’re going to need it! But that extra robe and the robe you’re wearing have to go, those won’t stop an arrow so we also need to buy some better mage armor for you!’ ‘Duncan, please!’, She said, grinning again ‘I won’t have you sully my virtues!’ She giggled. ‘Ugh… Seriously, I never hear any of my fellow recruiters telling the recruiting stories I can tell, I’m ALWAYS stuck with the funny ones…’ he sighed but couldn’t hide his smile, Amelia laughed again.  
‘So where are we going to find proper armor and maybe a new staff, because I’m not feeling this one’ she said. ‘We’ll go to Ostagar via Denerim, I need to make a quick stop at the Warden vault there, and we’ll make a stop for you at the shop ‘the Wonders of Thedas’. ‘kay!’ she nodded in agreement.  
They traveled all day and when they made camp, Duncan sat up the tents and Amelia searched for dry wood. When she heard rumbling in the bushes she summoned an orb of lightning with a pretty high voltage to her hand. When two rabbits jumped out, she fired the bolt, ‘Great, I caught dinner!’ she smiled.  
She gathered the wood she collected and the two dead bunnies and went back to camp. She heard Duncan talking calmly to someone. She put the wood and the bunnies on the ground and hunched over in the under bushes. She kept on listening, ‘So, old man, like we’ve already said, give us your money and you’ll live!’, ‘And I answered you four, that I’m not going to do that and that it isn’t the smartest thing attacking me.’ Duncan stated in a deadly calm tone.  
Amelia heard the silence that followed and all of a sudden several swords were drawn.  
‘She summoned a ball of frost in one hand and a bolt of lightning in the other and sprung up from the bushes. Two of the four attackers saw her approaching and switched to her to attack, she threw her frost ball to the attacker who was the closest to her and then threw the bolt of lightning and because of the wetness of the frost the lightning made short work of the bandit. ‘FUCK, we’ve got a mage of here!’ the other shouted to the others. Duncan had one on the ground already and finished him off in the blink of an eye – Maker that man was fast!- The other one darted away from Duncan and leaped to his companion, they stood back to back, one facing Duncan and the other one facing Amelia. She tried to signal Duncan to get of the way, thank the Maker he saw her motioning her head and gave a barely noticeable nod. She summoned her mana for a stonefist spell. She let the spell loose and the two bandits were thrown on the ground a couple of meters away. Duncan leaped at them and killed one before the other was barely recovered from Amelia’s spell.

The other one scrambled away from Duncan, begging for his life. ‘Get the hell away from here, and don’t you dare coming back!’ Duncan rumbled darkly. Wow don’t want to get on that man’s bad side Amelia thought.  
‘You alright?’ Duncan asked, Amelia nodded ‘You?’, ‘A little bruised but that’s fine!’ he smiled at her.  
‘By the way oh great commander of the Grey’, she grinned again, ‘I caught us some dinner!’, Duncan raised an eyebrow ‘Oh did you, young lady?’ Amelia hurried off to find the wood and the dead bunnies, but she only found the wood. ‘What the…?’ she cursed. Duncan walked up to her ‘So no dinner he asked?’, ‘I guess not’ she admitted disappointment clear in her voice  
Thank the Maker Duncan had some dried meat in his pack and shared some with Amelia. ‘So tell me about the others Wardens, what are they like?’ Amelia asked while she nibbled on the piece of leather that had to pass as meat. ‘hmm!’ Duncan smiled while thinking about his comrades. ‘They’re a rowdy bunch that’s for sure,’ he concluded. Amelia tried to imagine her future comrades, ‘Sooo, define rowdy, because right now I’m thinking drunk kinda rowdy!’ she laughed. ‘Well when there’s no war against the darkspawn and we’re all at a meeting point, most of the time yes they are a drunk rowdy bunch!’ Duncan laughed as well. ‘I have two other recruits, one from Redcliffe and one of Denerim as I had mentioned in the tower when you escorted me to my room,’ Duncan explained, ‘In the war camp at Ostagar you’ll also are going to meet Alistair, he’s our junior member here in Ferelden.’, ‘How did you get recruited?” She asked, and he told her his story how he was a pickpocket and got caught and was conscripted right of the gallows. ‘So when you go on your recruiting business, what are you watching out for, what kind of recruit catch your eyes?’ Amelia pried. ‘Well, in your case, the fact that Irving and even Gregoire were impressed about your Harrowing.’ Duncan looked at her, ‘Gregoire was impressed?’ Amelia as shocked! ‘He certainly was! He had you checked out when you were unconscious just to be sure you weren’t possessed or something!’ Duncan was studying her, gauging her reaction. ‘I don’t think it was that exceptional’ she said thinking back about the Harrowing. ‘Do you know what the Harrowing is?’ She asked Duncan, ‘I’ve heard from fellow Wardens who were from the Circle of magi the general gist of it’ he answered her, ‘So you realize mages are purposely put in jeopardy to see if they can resist the most human temptations…’ anger tinted Amelia’s voice, ‘I know’ he answered her. ‘But there is nothing you can do about it now, but you can be glad and proud that you survived child!’ he tried to give her some kind of comfort with his words. Amelia nodded sadly. ‘It’s just so unfair, the whole system is… It’s like we get punished for being born with some extra powers… It’s not like we chose those powers…’ she tried to explain, ‘And yet I think there is reason why we are who we are’ Duncan said pensively.  
‘So if I follow your opinion, there is a reason why I was A: born in a Circle, B: was taken from my mother without question just because she was a mage – she died while giving birth to me but that’s besides the point- and C: that I was betrayed by my best friend.’ She really tried to follow his reasoning. ‘Well… Yes!’ he said, ‘but you can’t look at all the negative sides, ‘Duncan explained again, ‘Because of all those things, you became more determined to rise above it all, to become stronger, smarter and your Harrowing is just another thing that proofs my theory!’ he smiled. ‘You are a very philosophical person aren’t you,’ Amelia squeezed her eyes. ‘It is one of my guilty pleasures, yes!’ Duncan laughed at her. ‘I think that’s why you get punished and get all the sarcastic and funny ones as recruits!’ Amelia laughed and stick her tongue out like a small child.  
Duncan snorted at that. ‘Now, why don’t you get some sleep, I want us to be on the road again before sunrise so that we’ll arrive Denerim by noon, I’ll take the first watch, you had a very trying couple of days behind you and will have for a lot more!’ he stated. ‘If you want to reassure me, that’s not the way to do it old man!’ she grunted. ‘Duncan chuckled and grabbed a whetstone out of his pack and started sharpening his blade, the sounds of it lulling Amelia to sleep.  
A couple of hours before dawn Duncan woke her and the packed up their temporary camping spot. ‘You didn’t wake me for my guard shift!’ Amelia chided him. ‘I couldn’t sleep anyway,’ Duncan said rubbing his eyes tiredly. ‘Let’s just go’ he said making sure she couldn’t ask anything else.  
They continued their way to Denerim like the devil himself was on their heels. They arrived a couple of hours sooner than Duncan expected. They went straight to the Warden vault inside a vacant building in a dead end street, a little bit further than the shop he wanted Amelia to check out. He gave her a pouch full with clinking coins, ‘Get whatever you need, and also make sure you get some extra Lyrium potions and other health potions! I’ll see you there.’ ‘Sure thing D!’ Amelia waved. ‘D?’ he cocked his eyebrow, ‘Yeah as in D for Duncan?’ she said as if it was the most normal thing ever.  
She went the store ‘The Wonder of Thedas’ and browsed the books, and then went over to the tranquil at the desk. ‘Welcome of Thedas, is there anything you need?’ he asked. ‘I’m looking for some battle mage robes’ Amelia said, ‘Ah, if you would follow me please’, The tranquil motioned her. And went with her to a small backroom to show her the different kind of robes. She fitted a couple and her eye fell on a shiny mage armor.

The leather was made of drakeskin and was a basic shirt and pants as well as the high quality gloves and boots, the metal part of the armor was made of silverite and was like a sleeveless shirt over the leathery part of the armor and from the hips it split up in a front and back part until just above the knees. So she still had all of her mobility. In her waist the Tranquil put a large leather belt with silverite elements on which she could save some daggers for emergency situations. She really loved this armor, it was heavy but not too heavy and she could still move fluidly with it, like it was made for her body, the price she did not like. The second armor was more of a leathery variant of the previous one. She put on cotton undershirt and above the undershirt the leather shirt and pants, then a red steel light breastplate that came right above the hips. Followed by a very wide leather sash that bound the plate tighter to her body over the sash came a small belt on which she again could hang some daggers. The whole look was finished with a leather coat, short in the front, longer in the back. Maker how could she ever choose? She tried to bargain with the tranquil and got a deal out of him, she bought the two armors, one full price, the other one half the price, some extra boots, a raincoat, and a new staff which felt awesome in her hands, bought a lot of lyrium potions and lesser health potions, sold her old Circle things – except her Circle signet ring that was here memento - to the tranquil. She changed into her newly acquired leather robes, and asked if she could wait on her companion in the store, which was okay for the tranquil, and she looked through some tomes.  
When Duncan arrived he was surprised she was already done. He did feel that the money pouch was lighter than before. He cocked his eyebrow again, ‘someone was really enthusiastic with the prospect of shopping!’ ‘What can I say, I like fine things!’ she grinned.  
The stopped at the tavern the ‘Gnarled noble’ and got something to eat, while Duncan planned their travel routes. ‘I think to get to Ostagar faster, we need to find some horses’ he said absently. ‘Uhm… D?...’ ‘Yes Amelia?’ I’ve never saw a horse up close my whole life, sooooo… I don’t know how to ride…’ she admitted a little embarrassed. ‘That’s not a problem at all child, you’ll learn really fast then!’ Duncan grinned sardonically. ‘I think you enjoy this way too much old man!’. She grumbled.  
After they ate something they searched, - well Duncan searched and Amelia just followed him around looking in awe to the great city. Duncan arrived at the royal palace, Amelia who was looking everywhere but in front of her bumped into Duncan. ‘Auw, sorry!’ she rubbed her head. Duncan just laughed. He talked to the head of the guards and had arranged two horses for them. Duncan showed her how to pack her stuff on the horse and attach it to the saddle. And helped her up on the horse. He adjusted the stirrups and showed her how to use her legs and feet, and how to hold the reigns.  
He let her walk the horse a little bit in front of him, let it trot some more and then learned her how to gallop. When she was fairly comfortable with the basics they were on their way to Ostagar.

They were traveling south through the Hinterlands to the ruin of Ostagar, on the edges of the Kracari Wilds. While they were arriving at Ostagar, Duncan told her some of the history of the ruins, ‘The Tevinter Imperium built Ostagar long ago to prevent the Wilders from invading the northern lowlands. It’s fitting we make our stand here, even if we face a different foe within that forest.’ Amelia looked her eyes out, these ruins were filled with history, she could feel it emanating from the whole atmosphere hanging here.  
They got of their horses and gave them to one the squires who led the tired animals to a stable, where they would get a nice grooming and lots of water and hay before they traveled back to Denerim to transport messages to the surrounding Banns.  
‘The king’s forces have clashed with the darkspawn several times, but here is where the bulk of the horde will show itself.’ Duncan explained to Amelia, ‘There are only a few Grey Wardens within Ferelden at the moment, but all of us are here.’, ‘Isn’t that risky, what if something goes wrong, and you all get killed?’ Amelia tried, ‘This blight must be stopped here and now! If it’s spreads to the north, Ferelden WILL fall!’ Duncan said with a severe intensity.  
They entered the ruins and they were approached by a guy in super shiny armor and two guards following him.  
‘Ho there, Duncan!’ The guy in shiny armor said raising his arms in welcome.  
‘King Cailan?’ Duncan said grasping the man’s forearm in a warriors greeting, ‘I didn’t expect…’ ‘a royal welcome?’ the king grinned, ‘I was beginning to worry you’d miss all the fun!’ he continued mock hurt. Makers breath! It’s the frigging king?! Amelia almost gaped at the tall blond man. He was really easy on the eyes. Semi-long blond locks, kind amber eyes and a very charming smile.  
‘Not if I could help it, your Majesty!’ Duncan chuckled.  
‘Then I’ll have the mighty Duncan at my side in battle after all! Glorious!’ Cailan said beaming.  
‘The other Wardens told me you’ve found a promising recruit, I take it this is she?’ The king looked at her with anticipation.  
‘When did the Duncan send an update of her recruitment to the others?’ Amelia wondered.  
‘Allow me to introduce you, your Majesty-,’ Duncan said turning to Amelia, Amelia’s head snapped up and she remembered to shut her mouth again. ‘No need to be so formal, Duncan, we’ll be shedding blood together, after all! Ho there friend! Might I know your name?’ The king asked her, - he had such kind amber eyes – My names Amelia, you’re Majesty.’ She said with a small bow – and without stuttering Maker be praised!. ‘Pleased to meet you! The Grey Wardens are desperate to bolster their numbers and I, for one, am glad to help them!’ Cailan smiled.  
Maker be damned, if he gave her another of those smiles she’ll be swooning all over him.

‘I understand you hail from the Circle of Magi, I trust you have some spells to help us in the coming battle?’ he winked at her, Amelia feeling a blush creep up her cheeks.  
‘I’m only recently out of my apprentice hood, but I’ll give it my all!’ Amelia answered him shyly, a little bit insecure about her capabilities. – she knew she had some powerful spells at her disposal, but to know how to use them in an all out battle this large, that was something she was afraid of.  
‘Your abilities are still above those of other men. That the Grey Wardens have recruited you says much!’ Cailan tried, ‘Allow me to be the first to welcome you to Ostagar! The Wardens will benefit greatly with you in their ranks!’ He smiled that very charming smile again and she felt her face heat up again. ‘You’re too kind, your Majesty!’ she answered quietly hoping the praise would stop, he didn’t know her, so how could he know what she’s capable of? And besides he sounded like he found the upcoming war nothing serious, unlike “Big D” next to her – huh Big D, I like it she thought, he’s going to hate it when I’m going call him that- she smiled.  
‘I’m sorry to cut this short, but I should return to my tent, Loghain waits eagerly to bore me with his strategies.’ Cailan laughed. ‘Your uncle sends his greetings and reminds you that Redcliffe forces could be here in less than a week’ Duncan said to Cailan.  
‘Ha!’ Cailan continued to laugh, ‘Eamon just wants in on the glory. We’ve won three battles against these monsters and tomorrow should be no different!’ ‘I didn’t realize things were going so well?’ Amelia said surprised. Duncan gave her a look that said “I’ll explain later”. ‘I’m not even sure this is a true Blight, there are plenty of darkspawn on the field, but alas, we’ve seen no sign of an archdemon!’ Cailan sounded really disgruntled by that last fact. Duncan looked at Cailan like a father looked at his child when it did something wrong.  
‘Disappointed, your majesty?’ Duncan asked with his famous eyebrow cocked up at one side.  
‘I’d hoped for a war like in the tales! A king riding with the fabled Grey Wardedns against a tainted god! But I suppose this will have to do.’ Cailan said with a dreamy look in his eyes. Why didn’t he take this seriously? Amelia thought, Duncan was on high alert ever since we entered the edges of the Korcari Wilds and still didn’t relax a muscle, I mean if “Big D” is worried, I think I also should be on alert, Amelia nodded to herself at that. ‘I must go before Loghain sends out a search party, farewell Grey Wardens!’ he waved at them and took off, both Duncan and Amelia gave a small bow.  
When the king was out of earshot, Duncan rubbed his eyes and sighed, ‘What the king said is true. They’ve won several battles against the darkspawn here,’ ‘He didn’t seem to take the darkspawn very seriously…’ Amelia tried to sound supportive of her future commander.  
‘True,’ he grumbled, leading her over a very large bridge, ‘Despite the victories so far, the darkspawn horde grows larger with each passing day… By now they look to outnumber us… I know there is an archdemon behind this, but I cannot ask the king to act solely on my feeling.’ Duncan explained with an extremely intense look on his face.  
‘Why not?’ Amelia joked, ‘He seems to regard the Grey Wardens highly!’ she shrugged.  
‘Yet not enough to wait for reinforcements from the Grey Wardens of Orlais… He believes our legend alone makes him invulnerable…’ Duncan said, but the way he said it made her think he probably advised the king to wait a bit longer until those reinforcements arrived…  
‘Our numbers in Ferelden are too few, we must do what we can and look to Teryn Loghain to make up the difference’ he continued. ‘To that end, we should proceed with the Joining ritual without delay!’ he added his eyes getting a little dark, ‘Uhm, What do you mean, what ritual?’ Amelia asked, an uncomfortable feeling settling in her gut. Duncan sighed, his gaze softening a little bit, ‘Every recruit must go through a secret ritual we call the Joining in order to become a Grey Warden… The ritual is brief, but some preparation is required, we must begin soon.’, ‘Why is this ritual so secret?’ Amelia asked trying to get some information out of him, ‘The Joining is dangerous, I cannot speak more of it, except to say that you will learn all in good time until then, you must trust that what is done is necessary!’, Amelia got a really bad feeling about this, ‘Is this anything like the Harrowing?’ she asked in a small voice. Duncan grabbed her shoulder in comfort, ‘It is an ordeal, I am sorry that you must endure another so soon…’ Amelia swallowed, trying to swallow her fear away with it. ‘You said I wasn’t the only recruit, who are the others?’ ‘Ah yes, Ser Jory and Daveth both have been waiting for us to arrive!’. Feel free to explore the camp here as you wish, all I ask is that you do not leave for the time being….’ Duncan gave her a nod to follow him over the bridge. ‘There is another Grey Warden in the camp by the name of Alistair, you’ll know you’ve got the right person when you hear him joke around, he’s also one of the funny ones I told you about’, Duncan chuckled. When you are ready, seek him out and tell him it’s time to summon the other recruits! Until then I have business I must attend to, you may find me at the Grey Wardens tent on the other side if this bridge should you need to’ he gave her reassuring smile. Amelia gave him a nod and walked over a wider part of the bridge to enjoy the view from both sides. Damn, if you didn’t know a battle was going to happen, this place was really serene, she loved the sights of all the green trees. Well let’s look around in the war camp and find that apparently extremely funny Alistair dude, she thought chuckling to herself.

She continued her way over the bridge and went to the guardsman standing at the entrance at the camp.  
The man smiled at her, ‘This place hasn’t seen such bustle in centuries, I’ll wager. Need a hand getting anywhere?’ he asked kindly.  
‘Uhm, I’m looking for a Grey Warden named Alistair, any ideas where I can find him’ He nodded, ‘try heading north, I think he was sent with a message to the mages!’. ‘Thanks a lot, Ser!’ she smiled at him and waved when she continued her way through the camp.  
Damn, this place is big! Where the hell do I even start, how the hell do I know where “north” is? Okay Ames, think about your geography lessons, It’s almost noon, so the sun should be in the… uhm.. South? Andrastes flaming knickers! Why can’t I remember stuff like that! She was turning around in Circles, looking around to see if something gave a hint of being “north”, her orientation skills were something she should work on.  
When she arrived at the quartermaster who was somewhere near north in her mind, she already helped muzzle a mabari with the kennelmaster, saw Wynne again and had a chat with her, helped a prisoner get a (maybe) last meal and got a key for a chest with loot in return, learned what “Ash warriors” are, talked to the personal guards of King Cailan and Teryn Loghai, heard a demo about darkspawn – the corps lying there was apparently a gunlock, angered a revere mother (the stupid cow called her a heathen because she didn’t want some idiotic blessings), she met with both of the other recruits – Ser Jory was more muscles than brains and she didn’t like him already, and Daveth was a sly and flirty devil! Amelia did like him, he was funny! He actually gave her a pick up line: ‘she had to be a mage cause she put a spell on him’ she actually doubled over while laughing at that one. He also tried to talk her into sleeping with him, but seeing his lack of hygiene and the fact that she just met the guy, she passed for the offer.  
She bartered with the quartermaster, traded some stuff, bought a new and bigger pack and restocked her supplies of health potions and lyrium potions.  
She also asked him if he saw the Grey Warden named Alistair and he pointed her in the right direction, she thanked him and continued her search.

She made her way to the clearing next to the war counsel and heard some voices – well one voice actually – getting really agitated.  
‘What is it NOW? Haven’t the Grey Wardens asked more than enough of the Circle?’ a mage she vaguely recognize, said to a young guy – OH Andrastes flaming knickers, that guy is HAWT! Amelia tried not to gawk at the young guy she assumed was Alistair. – Sweet maker, he’s going to be a teammate??? I mean, Anders was hot, but this guy, he’s like, wow just…, yeah wow… Please maker don’t let me drool in front of him!-. All of these thoughts were swarming in her mind, she almost didn’t hear him answer in a dry tone ‘I simply came to deliver a message from the revered mother, ser mage, she desires your presence…’  
‘ What her Reverence “desires” is of no concern to me! I am busy HELPING the Grey Wardens – by the king’s orders, I might add!’ the mage answered pissed off.  
‘Should I have asked her to write a note?’ The young guy answered sarcastically.  
‘Tell her I will not be harassed in this manner!’ the mage snapped at him.  
‘Yes,’ mister hottiehot drawled, ‘I was harassing YOU by delivering a message…’  
‘Your glibness does you no credit’ the mage hissed.  
‘Here I thought we were getting along so well, I was even going to name one of my children after you… the GRUMPY one’ he answered the mage sarcastically. Amelia had to hold down her snort and mister McHot saw her and gave her a wide grin… ‘OH BY ALL THAT IS GOOD AND HOLY IN THIS WORLD’ Amelia thought, making sure she wasn’t gawking at him again like a creep, that grin almost made her legs into pudding…  
‘ENOUGH! I will speak to the woman if I must! Get out of my way fool! The mage snapped.  
Mister McHot walked a little bit closer to her ‘You know, one good thing about the Blight is how it brings people together.’ He gave her that gorgeous grin again and she felt a little blush creep up her cheeks, but now she also knew what Duncan meant by ‘he’s also one of the funny ones’.  
She grinned right back at him, saying ‘I know exactly what you mean.’ ‘It’s like a party: we could all stand in a Circle and hold hands, THAT would give the darkspawn something to think about!’ he smiled, putting small dimples in his cheeks – really dimples? How could he become even more cute!  
‘Wait…’ he said, clearly trying to place her face, ‘We haven’t met have we? I don’t suppose you happen to be another mage?’ he asked. She grinned even more, ‘I am indeed a mage!’.  
‘Really? You don’t look like a mage!’ (Thank the Maker for her leather battle mage armor!) ‘Uhm… That is… I mean… How interesting!’ he’s voice got a little higher per sentence he said.  
‘Wait! I DO know who you are! You’re Duncan’s new recruit! From the Circle of Magi!’ he said happy to have pieced it together.  
‘Yup, that’s me! Big D’s recruit!’ she smiled. ‘Oh! You’ve got a nickname for Duncan! I’ve been grinding my mind for months for a nice nickname for Duncan! And it’s a good one at that!’ he smiled enthusiastically, ‘But I should’ve recognized you right away, I apologize’ his smile turning softer.  
‘That’s all right, no offense taken!’ she gave him a reassuring nod ad her blush turned a little more crimson.  
‘Good! You didn’t exactly catch me at my finest with that mage there…’ he said, embarrassment clear in his voice, ‘Allow me to introduce myself, I’m Alistair, the new Grey Warden, but I guess you knew that! As the junior member of the order, I’ll be accompanying you when you prepare for the Joining. ‘Pleased to meet you, my name is Amelia’ she said giving her hand. He took it in a warriors greeting, clasping her forearm and took her by surprise by that. She clasped his forearm and felt her skin tingling even through the leather where he clasped her arm.  
‘Yeah, about that Joining…’ Amelia tried to pry, ‘what can you tell me about?’.  
‘Honestly? Nothing. Try not to worry about it! It will… you know just… distract you.’ He said as evasive as Duncan. Makers breath why does no one want to talk about this ritual, could it really be that dangerous? Like, more dangerous than her Harrowing? She was lost in thought when Alistair cleared his throat and said awkwardly ‘You know…. It just occurred to me that there have never been many women in the Grey Wardens… I wonder why that is?’, Amelia grinned at him, ‘You want more women in the Wardens, do you?’ he gave her that gorgeous charming smile – hmm it’s like she has seen it before, but where?-, ‘Would that be so terrible? Not that I’m some drooling lecher or anything’ She started to laugh really hard and pointed at him ‘Please stop look at me like that!’ he said laughing with her, but it was with an awkward undertone.  
‘It probably is because we women are too smart for you, or the Wardens’ she joked.  
‘Maybe true!’ he snickered, ‘But if you’re here, what does that make you?’ He grinned again and wagged his eyebrows, Amelia had to think about that and snorted, ‘Well first of all, very unlucky and secondly one the boys?’, ‘Well that’s sad, isn’t it?’ he laughed again.  
‘Well Alistair, don’t you worry about me, I can handle myself better than most!’ she said cocky  
‘I’m getting the impression you’re indeed very capable!’ Alistair said approvingly, ‘By the way that is some nice armor, I think you’re the only mage I’ve seen here at Ostagar with an armor instead of a robe!’, ‘Thanks! It cost a small fortune! Duncan said that the robes from the Circle I was wearing wouldn’t do shit if we were under attack, so when we were in Denerim for something he had to take care of, I went armor shopping!’  
‘Hey! He never bought any armor for me, I’m feeling left out!’ he said mock hurt, ‘But still good call getting you armor instead of just robes, really!’ Alistair winked.  
‘So, I’m curious have you ever actually encountered darkspawn before?’ he asked serious now.  
‘No, I haven’t, I mean… Not actually… Alive, I guess?’ she said, and he cocked is head in question, ‘I saw this demo a guy gave to some soldiers explaining all the kinds of darkspawn there are, the corpse laying at his feet was a… ginlock, I think it was!’ Amelia answered him. ‘You mean a genlock!’ he smiled at her mistake in pronunciation, ‘Yes, one of us, I mean the Grey Wardens here, try to go scout as much as possible for information on the darkspawn and sometimes they try to bring back a corpse to give as much information as possible to the rest of the soldiers.’ He explained to Amelia, ‘I really learned a lot from that demo, especially that darkspawn reeks!’ she almost gagged remembering the smell of acidic and rot.  
‘When I fought my first one, I wasn’t prepared for how monstrous it was, I can’t say I’m looking forward to encountering another’ he nodded in understanding. ‘Anyhow, whenever you’re ready, let’s head back to Duncan, I imagine he’s eager to get things started.’  
‘That… argument I saw, with the mage… What was that all about?’ she asked carefully.  
He blushed a bit at that and looked really awkwardly to his boots.  
‘Yeah… That thing with the mage? The Circle is here at the king’s request and the Chantry doesn’t like that one bit. They just LOVE letting mages know how unwelcome they are! Which puts me in a bit of an awkward position… I was… once a templar…’ he said that last bit so quiet Amelia wasn’t really sure she heard him right. ‘Y… you were a… templar?’ she asked in a higher pitched voice and swallowed. ‘Wow, that must be… awkward?’ she tried to keep up the conversation and Alistair did notice how uncomfortable she was, ‘I’m sure the revered mother meant it as an insult, - sending me as her messenger- and the mage picked right up on that’ he continued, trying to make her more at ease. ‘I never would have agreed to deliver it, but Duncan says we’re all to cooperate and get along. Apparently, they didn’t get the same speech…’ he sighed, ‘Yeah that revered mother they have here is a stupid cow!’ Amelia mumbled under her breath and Alistair grinned at that, so he’d clearly heard her!  
‘Sooo, if we are to be traveling companions, let me start with saying, I’m looking forward to traveling with you!’ she smiled at him, feeling the receded blush creep back up.  
‘Yeah…!’ he smiled, ‘Wait until were out actually working together and then repeat that sentence, ‘cause you’re going to regret saying that! Just as a warning I’m not a really good cook, in fact I severely suck at cooking!’ a knowing smile played at his lips – she wondered if his lips were as soft as she thought them to be and she would love to s… Okay Ames, snap out of it, that will never happen!- ‘If you have any questions, let me know. Otherwise, lead on!’ He saw she was zoning out, ‘Huh, you’re letting me lead? Aren’t you my senior?’ she said confused. ‘Well… I… I’m just… seeing what you’re made of… Yeah, scoping out those leading abilities!’ he blushed and stuttered.  
‘U-huh’ she snickered.

‘So you’re going to help us prepare for the Joining ritual, but you don’t really need to accompany me do you?’ Amelia tried to see what she can pry out of him again.  
‘Don’t worry, I’ll try not to embarrass you’ he said sarcastically and waggled his eyebrows.  
‘Oh come on!’ she laughed. ‘Than tell me a little about yourself!’. ‘As I said earlier, I’m a terrible cook, catastrophic is a better word actually, and I was trained as a templar, before Duncan recruited me about six or seven months ago. The Chantry raised me and becoming a templar was a decision made for me a long time ago’, he sounded a little bitter when he said that Amelia thought, his life was a little like hers in that regard, not having a choice what you want to do with your life yourself…  
‘Duncan saw I wasn’t happy, and figured my training against mages could double for darkspawn.. Now, here I stand a proud Grey Warden! The grand cleric wouldn’t have let me go if Duncan never forced the issue… I’ll always be grateful to him!’  
‘you didn’t want to join the Chantry?’ she asked, ‘It just… wasn’t for me. I believe in the Maker well enough, but I never wanted to devote my life to the Chantry.’ He said shrugging.  
‘You speak very fondly of Duncan!’ Amelia smiled warmly, thinking about what Duncan did for her, recruiting her from the Circle, making sure she wouldn’t become tranquil or worse.  
‘ I spent years in that Chantry, hopelessly resigned to my fate. Duncan was the first person who cared what I wanted. He risked a lot of trouble with the grand cleric to help me!’  
‘Maybe Duncan thought you’d be useful?’ she winked, trying to make their conversation a little lighter. ‘Oooor, maybe he just happens to be a good man!’ he sneered.  
‘That he most certainly is!’ Amelia had to agree with him.  
He pulled one of is his leather gloves tighter. He wore an amazing Grey Warden armor. She saw a few other men wearing it, but not “Big D”, he wore something more commandery.  
Alistair’s armor looked in the category of a heavy mail, with the colors of the Grey Wardens, blue and white. The metal that was used had to be silverite and was used on the breastplate, the shoulders, and the boots, the rest was a variety of leather and the sturdy padding of the blue and white under-armor.  
‘So I’ve got some more questions, if it’s not a problem…’ she asked.  
‘What about?’ ‘Well for starters the Grey Wardens!’ she laughed.  
‘So I imagine, what would you like to know?’ he smiled amused by her enthusiasm.  
‘What makes you all so special?’ (here she goes again with the prying, oh well can’t blame a girl for trying). ‘They Grey Wardens are warriors without equal. Darkspawn threatened to destroy the world four times over, Each time, the Grey Wardens led mankind to victory. Nobody knows more about darkspawn, and nobody’s better equipped to deal with them. You’ll see, trust me!’ he explained.  
‘So they’re knights? Heroes?’ She asked while thinking about what he said. ‘I… don’t know if I’d go that far. Duncan says the Grey Wardens do whatever is necessary to protect mankind from darkspawn. That means some pretty extreme things. Whatever it takes to bring victory!’ Alistair said a bit darkly.  
‘I’m not really sure I know anything about the Grey Wardens…’ she continued milling over his words.  
‘Well, let’s see… Surely you’ve heard of Weisshaupt Fortress? The great aerie carved into the white cliffs far off in the Anderfels? You know, the place where they kept their griffons!’ he practically glowed when he said that, ‘DUH!! I mean, griffons! I’m sooooo disappointed that they’re extinct! I’m really not so secretly hoping we’d coincidentally find a griffon egg and that we get to raise a friggin griffon!’ Amelia shared her little Warden dream secret with Alistair in high pitched voice, ‘You are a woman after my own heart! He laughed and she blushed again.  
‘I’m also very disappointed the griffons died out… And our numbers have dwindled since the last Blight. There’s only a handful left in Ferelden a few more in other nations’ he continued a little more serious.  
‘So where are the other Grey Wardens?’ she asked, curiosity lacing her every word now.  
‘The others are camped with the king’s soldiers in the valley. The king has given us a position of honor at the vanguard, despite our small numbers… I think… Cailan is actually excited to ride into battle with us. Maybe he thinks that’s what his father would’ve done?’ Alistair said.  
‘So the Wardens have the right to recruit anyone?’ Amelia asked him.  
Alistair nodded, ‘King Maric, Cailan’s father reaffirmed the power the Grey Wardens were given during the Blights! In practice, we can’t conscript too often without hurting our cause. We were exiled from Ferelden once… Best not to let that happen again!’ he said, sarcasm dripping on that last sentence.  
‘So about this Blight, the one Duncan mentioned?’ She continued. ‘Of course, ask away!’ he smiled sympathetically.  
‘What is a Blight exactly? Where do darkspawn come from?’ she tried to remember anything she might picked up about this subject, but nothing came to mind.  
Alistair gave a snort, ‘You want the Chantry’s version or the truth?’  
‘They aren’t the same thing?’ she asked eyebrows raised.  
He laughed again at her remark, ‘They seldom are…’ ‘Yeah, good point!’ she said, ‘hit me with the truth then!’ she said waving her hands like a big shot.  
‘The truth is, we don’t really know. They come up from the ground and that’s as far as we’ve gotten…’ he said shrugging. ‘So what you talked about was the First Blight?’ she remembered something but wasn’t sure. ‘Yup, and it nearly wiped us out. When defeated the darkspawn flee back underground and seek out another Old God to taint, thus bringing another Blight…’ he answered her.  
‘So for every Blight, there is an archdemon, okay… I see… So where is the archdemon for this blight then?’, ‘We haven’t seen it yet. People are beginning to think this is just an usually large darkspawn raid without an archdemon to unify them… But seriously, he archdemon could be in the Wilds, or underground… It could be hiding. Just because it hasn’t show itself doesn’t mean it isn’t out there…’ he said, he’s eyes growing dark again. ‘What IS an archdemon, exactly?’ ‘The old Gods were dragons, so the stories say, BIG ones, intelligent even. The Tevinter Empire had big statues of them. Each dragon had a name and a place in the cosmos… It’s all very intricate. The archdemons may not be the Old Gods, but they’re definitely dragons…’  
‘Why are people so skeptical?’, ‘The Grey Wardens killed so many darkspawn by the end of the last Blight, people decided they were gone for good!’  
‘So a theoretical question… Why not kill the darkspawn when they’re underground?’, ‘They’ve controlled the deep roads eve since they defeated the Dwarven kingdoms. Even if we invaded, we can only chase them so far…’

‘How do grey Wardens defeat a blight?’ she asked thinking about all the information he’s given her. ‘We chop off the snakes head, it’s the only way! According to texts, the most famous Grey Warden leader, Garahel, killed the archdemon Andorhal in personal combat at the battle of Ayesleigh to end the last Blight. Without the archdemon to command them, the darkspawn flee back underground.’  
‘How did anyone even know this is a real blight?’ she asked.  
‘The Grey Wardens keep watch. We feel the darkspawn, when they come.. You’ll understand after the Joining, if you s… well… You’ll understand…’ he said that last bit evasive.  
‘Not to mention people start to notice when darkspawn pour out of the Wilds and taint everything around them… Just a guess!’ he joked again.  
‘Soooo, time for the dirt!’ she laughed, ‘Tell me about “Big D”!’ He laughed as well at that.  
‘Duncan is the leader of the Grey Wardens in Ferelden, which he would say doesn’t mean much, as there aren’t many of us here… Yet… Beyond that, he’s a good man. A good judge of character, I owe him a lot!’ when Alistair said that last bit, there was a sadness in his eyes. She nodded when he said that. ‘What about you?’ he asked, ‘What do you think of him?’ ‘He seems like a kind man, if firm… But I owe him a lot as well!’ she answered truthfully. ‘Fair enough! He’s done the best he can with what little he has… And that includes me… I guess…’ there was that sadness in his eyes again – did he think he wasn’t worthy of being a Warden? I mean Maker, from what she could tell he was loyal, he knew his history, he’s capable ‘cause otherwise he wouldn’t be recruited! So why did he think he was not worthy?- ‘So if you’re ready to go?’ he said trying to break off conversation. She would indulge him for the moment.  
They got back at the camp where Duncan and the two other recruits were waiting for them.  
Duncan looked up and nodded in welcome.  
‘you found Alistair, did you? Good, I’ll assume you are ready to begin preparations.’ He asked Amelia and then turned to Alistair scolding: ‘Assuming, of course, that you’re quite finished riling up the mages, Alistair!’ Alistair looked at him with mock shock, ‘What can I say? The revered mother ambushed me… The way she wields guilt they should stick her in the army…’ Amelia tried to hide her snort. Duncan looked at her with a raised eyebrow in question, ‘Oh come on Big D, you know Alistair wouldn’t do anything that could hurt the image of the Wardens!’ she joked and Alistair laughed with her, Duncan only sighed; ‘Hmpf, why do I get all the funny ones…’ Alistair and Amelia laughed some more at that.  
‘She forced you to sass the mage, didn’t she? We cannot afford to antagonize anyone, Alistair, we don’t need to give anyone more ammunition against us…’ Duncan turned to Alistair, the way they talked to each other was like a father-son relationship, she was a bit jealous of them. The one she thought of as a brother was the one who betrayed her… Thinking about that gave her a painful pang to the heart, so she swallowed her sadness, straightened her back and suppressed those feelings. She would not be vulnerable like that anymore, she vowed to herself. ‘You’re right Duncan, I apologize’ Alistair said.  
She didn’t notice Daveth sliding over next to her, ‘So still thinking of my offer of spending a fantastic night with me?’ he asked grinning and gave her wink. ‘Uhm… Not really..’ she laughed, ‘But thank you for that… Uhm… Gracious offer’ she said. ‘Well since we’re becoming teammates you’ll know where to find me!’ he said walking over to Ser Jory again, who was rolling his eyes at Daveth while shaking his head.  
‘Now then since you’re all here, we can begin!’ Duncan announced. ‘You four will be heading into the Korcari Wilds to perform two tasks. The first is to obtain three vials of darkspawn blood, one for each recruit. ‘ Duncan explained. ‘Uhm… What do we need darkspawn blood for?’ Ser Jory asked suspiciously, ‘For the Joining itself, I’ll explain more once you’ve returned!’ Duncan answered in a way that nobody dared to ask another question.  
‘For the second task, there was once a Grey Warden archive in the Wilds, abandoned long ago when we could no longer afford to maintain such remote outposts. It has recently come to our attention that some scrolls have been left behind, magically sealed to protect them. Alistair, I want you to retrieve these scrolls if you can!’ Duncan said to Alistair.  
‘What kind of scrolls are these?’ Amelia asked interested.  
‘Old treaties, if you’re curious. Promises of support made to the Grey Wardens long ago!’ Duncan smiled at her kindly. ‘They were once considered only formalities. With som many having forgotten their commitments to us, I suspect it may be a good idea to have something to remind them with!’ he winked.  
‘Smart move Big D!’ she winked back at him. Alistair snorted at the use of her nickname for Duncan.  
‘So we find three vials of darkspawn blood and that archive? Easy peasy!’ Daveth grinned.  
‘Watch over your charges Alistair, return quickly and foremost, safely!’ he grabbed Alistair’s shoulder and gave a gentle squeeze. –See there’s that father-son thing again, Amelia thought- Alistair nodded to Duncan and the rest of them packed their weapons, checked their armor and supplies and told Alistair when they were ready.  
‘May the Maker watch over your path, I will see you when you return.’ Duncan said and shook Alistair’s hand in the warriors grasp and marched off to Maker knows where.  
‘Well…’ Alistair started, ‘Everyone ready?’ he looked them over, when they all nodded agreement the took off, they headed over to the gate, and were stopped by the kennel master, who asked to look out for a specific kind of flower to use in some medicine for the Mabari they agreed they would keep their eyes open for it and continued their way to the gate, showed the guard there the necessary papers to pass and start their adventure in the Korcari Wilds.


	7. Witch goose chase

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey you all!  
> Hope you guys are all okay. Sorry it took a while to post since the last time, but with the global corona crisis wreaking havoc and me working in a medical centre… shit just got busy! 
> 
> Hope all of you stay safe, and more importantly stay healthy! 
> 
> In this chapter Amelia, Alistair, Daveth and Jory venture out into the Wilds, meet some witches and have some bonding moments!
> 
> Lots of love!

After they left the camp and entered the wilds, the first enemy they encountered were wolves, a whole pack of them! They made short work of it, Amelia freezing them and Alistair used a shield bash attack to shatter them, ‘Hey we work really well together don’t we?’ he laughed at her and Amelia blushed at his comment and Daveth just snickered.   
When all the wolves were dead, Daveth checked out the ones that weren’t shattered and started to skin them. ‘Iew Daveth, gross! Do you really need to do this? Now?’ Alistair said wrinkling his nose in disgust.’ ‘Well mister junior Warden,’ Daveth said sarcastically, ‘I’m skinning those wolves so we can sell these pelts to the quartermaster and earn some extra coin! I heard our little misses mage bought some armors and I thought we replenish our coin!’ he said winking to Amelia.   
She blushed a little and Alistair laughed.   
They passed a lake and Ser Jory spotted a body bobbing in it. The body held a letter that wasn’t badly damaged. Apparently the body’s name was Jogby, a missionary from the Chantry, apparently his son was probably also in the Wilds, they wanted to convert the Chasind.   
‘Were they actually serious of converting the Chasind?’ Daveth said with disbelief. ‘Guess that was his plan’ Amelia shrugged. ‘He talks about some Chasind cache, we should also try to find it, we can try and sell some of it!’ Alistair said reading the letter again. ‘And here I thought we were on a tight schedule!’ Daveth laughed. Amelia couldn’t hold her snort in and laughed as well, Ser Jory was looking around fear lacing his every move. ‘Oh come on Jory, try to relax!’ Alistair said trying to ease some of Jory’s fear. The big man just nodded and kept looking around.

‘So let’s keep an eye out for the landmarks and if we meet his son along the way, we should inform him of the.. uhm… passing of his father? No?’ Amelia checked with the others and they all agreed they would.   
They continued arrived at a massacre, there was blood everywhere and they saw a man, or something resembling like a man crawling at them. ‘Who… is that? Grey… Wardens?’ he said with much effort.   
‘Well, he’s not half as dead as he looks, is he?’ Alistair said jokingly, ‘I’ll patch him up!’ Amelia said crouching down over the poor guy and started to heal him. When all the serious injuries were treated, she bandaged the rest.   
‘My scouting band was attacked by darkspawn!’ he said voice trembling. ‘They came out of the ground… Please I’ve got to return to the camp! Thank you for helping me!’ the man got up and ran – although limped off is a better phrase.   
‘Did… Did you hear? An entire patrol of seasoned men killed by darkspawn!’ Jory said, fear emanating from him.   
‘Calm down Jory, we’ll be fine if we’re careful!’ Alistair said sternly.   
‘Those soldiers were careful, and they were still overwhelmed. How many darkspawn can the four of us slay? A dozen? A hundred? There’s an entire army in these forests!’ the big man raised his voice.   
‘There are darkspawn about, but we’re in no danger of walking into the bulk of the horde,’ Alistair tried, ‘How do you know? I’m not a coward…’ – Daveth snickered which made Amelia snort and Alistair gave them both a reprimanding look- ‘This…. This is foolish and reckless, we should go back!’ Jory said terrified. ‘Look Jory, overcoming these dangers are as much a part of the test as the initial assignment… Don’t worry too much about it!’, ‘You’re right, My apologies’ Jory looked at his boots when he said that.   
‘Know this, All Grey Wardens can sense darkspawn. Whatever their cunning, I can guarantee they won’t take us by surprise, that’s why I’m here.’ Alistair tried to comfort the big guy again.   
‘You see , ser knight? We might die, but we’ll be warned about it first!’ Daveth said happily to the big man. Amelia snorted again and Alistair gave her small push but was also grinning.   
Jory sighed, ‘That is… kind of reassuring…’. ‘That doesn’t mean I’m here to make this easy, however, let’s get a move on shall we!’ Alistair said sternly again. A really big black bird flew over them and croaked while flying off. They all jumped a little at that.   
They continued their way across the Wilds , found some signs of the Chasind and found the flower the kennel master was looking for.   
While they were walking Amelia and Daveth started talking ‘So Daveth, where are you from?’ she asked him. ‘I grew up in a village ‘bout a day’s trip to the east, a little blot you wouldn’t even find on a map! Haven’t been back in years, I struck out for the city as soon as I could outrun my pa… I’ve been in Denerim for what… six years now? Never liked it much, but there’s more purses there than anywhere else!’ he answered her. ‘Sooooo, you’re a cutpurse?’ she asked in surprise. ‘And a pickpocket, thank you very much! Or was… anyhow, who’d guess I’d end up a Grey Warden?’ he snickered. ‘Yeah… How did the Grey Wardens find you?’ she asked him. ‘Hah!’ he laughed, ‘I found them! I cut Duncan’s purse while he was standing in a crowd. He grabs my wrist, but I squirm out and bolt… The old bugger can run but the garrison caught me first!’ he laughed. ‘Now that would have been a sight to see!’ Amelia laughed with him. ‘I’m a wanted man in Denerim, you see, so they were going to string me up right there!’ He continued. ‘So what happened then?’ Amelia asked really interested in the story. ‘Duncan stopped them, invoked the Right of Conscription! I gave the garrison the finger while I was walking away!’ Daveth grinned, ‘I bet!’ Amelia laughed, ‘Why would you actually think that pick pocketing a man like Duncan is a good idea?’ she pried, ‘Well normally a man with his kind of armor isn’t that fast!’ he laughed with her, ‘I honestly thought he was one of them nobles, just a fancy armor and nothing more, but I should’ve paid attention to his weapons, to well used you know, and his posture should’ve ticked me off but… you know, can’t blame a man for trying… When I talked to him about it, he said he was actually goading me into pick pocketing him!’ Daveth sounded impressed. ‘No way!’ Amelia said in surprise. ‘He says finesse is important and I’m really fast with daggers so…, yeah… Here I am!’ he grinned at her. They stopped at a cut down tree, where a couple of mutilated bodies from soldiers were dangling from a rope… ‘Look at them… Poor slobs… This seems just so… Excessive…’ Alistair said grim. Amelia swallowed and saw Jory getting that translucent color again, she wouldn’t call it white, it was… worse than white, Daveth seemed to be focused on anything but the corpses.   
Around the bend the heard a weird rumbling noise and Alistair grabbed the shield of his back and unsheathed his sword quietly and motioned to them to do the same, they all made sure they got their weapons in their hands and formed up, Alistair in the front followed by Jory, Daveth and Amelia stayed a little more back, Daveth with a bow and Amelia, for some serious magical back up and healing need be. She let het mana flow to the tips of her fingers, ready to kick some magical ass!  
There were four hurlocks and two genlocks Jory and Alistair each took two of the monsters down, one Hurlock and one genlock raced over to Daveth and Amelia. Daveth rained down arrow after arrow, on the genlock. Amelia used frost spell and iced the Hurlock in when it was fully encased in ice, she used a stone fist spell and shattered it. ‘Damn, remember not to piss you off!’ Daveth said grinning like a madman. ‘Hah, then let me give you some advice, leave me alone when I have my period and you’ll be fine!’ she grinned right back at him. Alistair and Jory who were returning to where Amelia and Daveth were standing turned beet red at her comment, which made her laugh even harder.   
‘Maker is it me or is the smell wafting from those things…’ Jory started, ‘Utterly disgusting?’ Amelia filled in, ‘Yeah for lack of a better word…’ Jory agreed. ‘It smells like vomit and other things rotting’ Daveth pitched in. ‘Let’s try and fill up our vials for Duncan’ Alistair tried to get a move in things.

When they continued to some higher ground they heard wolfs howling and growling and the weird rumbling they now associated with darkspawn. ‘Maker, even at this distance I can smell them’ Amelia said while trying not to gag. ‘Try not to breathe through your nose.’ Alistair said softly.   
She nodded her thanks and all of them joined the fray and killed wolf and darkspawn alike.   
they found to body of the missionary’s son, Rigby and gathered some of his personal belongings along with his last will and testament which mentioned a lockbox that should go the a certain Jetta in Redcliffe. When they moved on they came in another clearing with a lot of the beasties and made quick work dispatching them. They really learned how to fight together, combining their fighting styles, Alistair often used a shield bash, while Jory finished it off with a enormous swing of his great sword, like practically decapitating things, Daveth and Amelia insuring back up with arrows and spells, and whenever an enemy came too close, Daveth switched his bow for to daggers offering cove for Amelia. On other occasions Amelia tried to freeze everything in sight and the guys made quick work shattering everything.   
They saw a campsite and searched it and found Rigby’s field journal reading it Amelia asked Daveth if he could search for the signs of the Chasind. In the fire pit, Daveth already uncovered some sort of lockbox, ‘I think this is what that guy meant with “take it to Jetta”!’ Daveth said showing it to the rest. ‘I think you’re right’ Alistair said taking the lockbox and putting it in the pack Amelia was opening for him to put in. ‘So when this is all over, let’s go to Redcliffe and bring it to that Jetta person!’ Amelia smiled, ‘Maker knows, if I was in that position I would want to know…’ her gaze soft and Alistair touched her shoulder briefly in comfort. Amelia thought she saw another, or the same big black bird flying in the distance.   
After that, Daveth was on fire with searching and more importantly finding those Chasind trail signs. While finding trail signs, they also find the cache that Jogby wanted Rigby to find. Well Rigby can’t do anything with it so Amelia and the guys took what was in the cache, either for selling or to switch with their gear or resupply.   
And so they continued, finding a couple other trail signs, getting attacked by sneaky rogue genlocks who knew some shadow attacks – Thank the Maker for Alistair and his sensing the darkspawn otherwise they would be in trouble- they arrived at a bridge and hid behind some bushes, Amelia felt a light tingle over her spine. ‘There’s someone, or something with magic close by!’ She warned Alistair, ‘Probably a hurlock emissary!’ he explained, ‘What the hell?’ Amelia hissed, ‘Those things also know magic?’. ‘Yeah… Sometimes there is one of them that can do magic, they can be tricky to kill’ Alistair tried to sound casual, but she noticed tension lining his voice. ‘Leave that fucker to me!’ she said determinant, ‘Let’s see who the biggest and baddest mage is!’ she winked at Alistair. ‘You… sure?’ he asked, ‘Can you still do a smite? Like an actual templar smite?’, ‘Uhm… Yeah’ He answered. ‘So don’t worry! when you see the fight goes bad, use a smite, I’ll be knocked out as well but… you can kill it then!’ Amelia looked at him, Alistair thought about it for a minute. ‘Why don’t I use a smite to begin with?’ he asked. ‘Alistair! That’s genius!’ Amelia agreed, he actually sat a little straighter behind the bush. ‘So we need to get into position!’ Amelia nodded at him and waving Daveth and Jory to follow her, ‘Make sure your out of range!’ Alistair warned her, ‘I’ll be fine!’ She smiled at him – Wait did he just blush? Because she… smiled at him? Aaww that’s so cute! She thought.   
When she, Jory and Daveth were positioned out of his range and still hidden for the darkspawn waiting there in ambush, she felt Alistair powering up. ‘Damn that is some build up for a smite!’ she murmured. ‘What do you mean?’ Jory asked her. ‘Don’t you guys feel it? I mean, okay I’m a mage I know how mana feels and how the attacks of templars feel, but sweet Maker, don’t you feel that?’ she asked, ‘I only feel the air getting really heavy’ Daveth answered and Jory nodded. ‘That’s it, that’s his build up, I can also feel like tiny electrical jolts flitter over my skin!’ she tried to explain, ‘Like when in winter and you wear a wool scarf or robe or coat? That’s what I feel all over my body and also like the breathable part of the air is getting sucked out!’ she gave them a small smile. ‘So how does an attack like that feel when you’re on the receiving end?’ Jory started to ask, but at that moment Alistair ran down the bridge releasing the smite attack at the emissary. The emissary momentarily floated and then smacked down on the ground, hard, knocking it unconscious the ripples of the attack reverberated several meters far, the three of them hurried from their hiding spot to assist Alistair, ‘That’s how a smite feels!’ Amelia said grinning to Jory, who was in complete awe of Alistair.

They made short work of the rest of the darkspawn and looted the useful stuff in their packs, ‘Maker I think I’ll never get used to that smell!’ Amelia held her hand in front of her nose, hoping the smell wouldn’t bother her too much like that. ‘Trust me when I say, you won’t! Even I still have trouble with it sometimes!’ Alistair admitted. ‘Now I’m angry at myself for not taking my perfume with me when I left the tower!’ she grumbled, the guys just laughed at that. ‘If you want to smell something good, you can always come by my tent tonight?’ Daveth winked, ‘Yeah… I’m not going to do that!’ she laughed at Daveth, Jory just rolled his eyes and Alistair smirked at her answer and stood a little bit straighter.  
‘Now you’re hurting my feelings, darling!’ Daveth said in mock hurt, ‘Am I not to your satisfaction m’lady?’ Amelia almost buckled over with laughter ‘Maker, Daveth, seriously?’, ‘See gents, a man gives an indecent proposal to a gorgeous lady and she just laughs with and at me!’ Daveth continued, Jory sighing and rubbing his eyes tired of their banter and Alistair looked at Amelia from the corner of his eyes, trying to see how she was going to respond to Daveth, a ghost of smile playing at his lips.   
‘Oh, you poor, poor man!’ She wiped tears from laughter away, ‘I’m sure there’s plenty of girls who would love to spend a night with you, just not this girl’ she grinned. Daveth raised his hands in defeat, ’Can’t blame a bloke for trying!’ he winked at her and gave a sly smile at Alistair and mumbled something to him. Alistair blushed again and when they looked at each other, she shrugged.   
Daveth found the last of the trail signs and after searching a couple of minutes they found the cache. ‘Well, well Amelia, I think we found a spare robe for you!’ Daveth smiled and showed a very daring robe, something the Chasind witches apparently often wore. It had a very deep cleavage and also an open back, the front and back ending in a split coming until the knees. ‘Yeah, I don’t think I’m going to wear that, like ever!’ she said shaking her head, she thought she heard Alistair mumble something like ‘I am going to stand over, here trying really hard not to think about the robe…’

When they sorted through the cache, they were off again. They saw the ruins where the Grey Warden cache would be in the distance, ‘So, you guys, I’m sensing a lot of darkspawn activity over there, and some strong ones at that!’ Alistair announced, ‘So what does that mean?’ Jory asked, fear clear in his eyes again. ‘Probably a hurlock or genlock alpha’ Alistair tried to explain, ‘the most strong and smart ones become some sort of commander to their group and takes the lead’. ‘I am not liking these things, first off they reek like rot and ugh.., and secondly they don’t have lips! Really disturbing shit!’ Amelia mumbled, causing Daveth to snicker.   
‘So what’s the game plan then?’ Daveth asked Alistair, ‘Well I was hoping, Amelia, you could use another of those freeze attacks so we can shatter our way to the ruin?’ he looked to Amelia, who nodded her agreement, ‘Good plan!’ she said. Daveth, Jory and Alistair grabbed their weapons and positioned themselves, Amelia gathered her mana and focused on her cone of cold spell in her mind’s eye, she nodded to the guys when she was ready and approached the ruin, the guys following her. Her hands emanating frost and a biting cold, she focused on the group of darkspawn in front of her, hearing the usual weird rumble from their throats. She let loose of the spell and soon every darkspawn except the hurlock alpha were encased in ice. ‘Leave the alpha to me, I’ll keep him busy!’ Amelia shouted to her companions. The guys started shattering the frozen darkspawn and Amelia summoned a stone fist spell and knocked the alpha on the ground, she then used a fireball on it, setting it aflame, the creature screamed at that, running towards her, sword raised, Amelia tried to summon another stone fist spell, but her mana was to depleted because of the frost spell, she backed away, stumbled and fell on her butt, she crawled backwards and saw the flaming darkspawn coming at her with terror in her eyes, she prepared for the blow of the sword, but it never came, Alistair was crouching next to her, his arm wrapped around her and shield protecting her and him and Jory waved his greatsword and beheaded the flaming creature. ‘Oh sweet Maker! Thank you, Alistair!’ Amelia sighed, resting her forehead on Alistair’s shoulder, he wrapped his arm closer around her making sure he held her tighter against him, ‘You okay?’ he asked her softly, ‘Tired, but alive, thanks to you!’ she looked into his amber eyes. Their gazes locked and they looked at each other for quite some time, until Daveth gave a not so subtle cough, ‘Well if you two love birds are done making puppy eyes at each other, can we get a move on?’ he grinned. The both of them turned beet red and scrambled to get up, knocking their heads against each other in the process. Even Jory was laughing now.  
They entered the ruin and searched a broken stone chest. ‘Well nothing here!’ Daveth said.   
Amelia turned around, she had a feeling they were being watched. And suddenly felt her spine tingle again. Before she could say something to Alistair they were approached by a young dark haired woman in quite revealing clothes – Amelia secretly hoped Daveth would get an eyeful so he would leave her alone for a change-, the young woman must be a mage, otherwise her mage senses wouldn’t warn her like that!

‘Well, well, what have we here?’ the dark haired woman spoke in a sultry voice. She approached them with sensual swaying of her hips but yet a very graceful sway.   
‘Are you a vulture, I wonder? A scavenger poking amidst a corpse whose bones were long since cleaned? Or merely an intruder, come onto these darkspawn-filled Wilds of mine in search of easy prey?’ she singled Amelia out, because the three men were actually behind her cowering a little under the gaze of the stranger.  
‘What say you, hmmm? Scavenger or intruder?’ she asked Amelia.  
‘I am neither, the Grey Wardens owned this tower.’ She answered calmly, straightening her back just a little.   
‘T is a tower no longer, the Wilds have obviously claimed this desiccated corpse… I have watched your progress for some time, “where do they go,” I wondered, “Why are they here?”’, ‘the black bird…’ Amelia murmured more to herself, but she saw the woman’s eyes widen a little.   
‘And now you disturb ashes none have touched for so long, why is that?’ the woman asked.   
‘Don’t answer her, she looks Chasind, and that means others may be nearby!’ Alistair murmured tensely to her. ‘You fear barbarians will swoop down upon you?’ the dark haired beauty said mockingly to Alistair. ‘Yes!’ He answered her voice laced with irony, ‘Swooping is bad.’  
‘She’s a witch of the Wilds, she is! She’ll turn us into toads!’ Daveth said eyes wide with terror.   
‘Witch of the Wilds? Such idle fancies, those legends. Have you no minds of your own?’ the woman said mocking the guy, she turned to Amelia again, ‘You there. Women do not frighten like little boys, tell me your name and I shall tell you mine.’ Amelia straightened her back again and tipped her chin up, ‘My name is Amelia!’, ‘And you may call me Morrigan’ she answered politely.   
‘Shall I guess your purpose? You sought something in that chest, something that is here no longer?’ Morrigan taunted. ‘Here no longer? You stole them didn’t you, You’re… Some kind of… sneaky… witch-thief!’ Alistair stuttered angrily. ‘Al, get a grip, keep your head cool!’ she hissed at him.   
‘How very eloquent, how does one steal from dead men?’ Morrigan mocked.  
‘Hmpf, quite easily it seems!’ Alistair huffed, ‘Those documents are Grey Warden property, and I suggest you return them.’ He continued sternly.   
‘I will not, for ‘t was not I who removed them. Invoke a name that means nothing here any longer if you wish, I am not threatened.’ Morrigan said shrugging.   
‘Then who removed them, Morrigan?’ Amelia said, running out of patience. ‘ ‘T was my mother in fact.’ Morrigan said casually. ‘Your mother?’ Amelia said in surprise, ‘Yes, my mother, did you assume I spawned from a log?’ Morrigan said snippy. ‘A thieving, weird-talking log, perhaps…’ Alistair grumbled, Amelia snorted at that.   
‘Not all in the Wilds are monsters, flowers grow as well as toads’ she said leaning against a pillar, ‘If you wish, I will take you to my mother, ‘t is not far from here, and you may ask her for your papers, if you like…’ the woman suggested.   
‘We should get those treaties, but I dislike this…. Morrigan’s sudden appearance. It’s too convenient…’ Alistair whispered to her.   
‘I say we go with her, what’s the worst that could happen?’ Amelia said in a hushed voice to the guys. ‘She put us all in the pot, she will! Just you watch!’ Daveth hissed at them. ‘Daveth, seriously, even if she wanted to put us in a pot, we are a team of four people, and even then if she were to succeed, if Jory was in the pot there wouldn’t be any room for us!’ Amelia grinned.   
‘If the pot is warmer than this forest, it’d be a nice change!’ Jory huffed.   
‘Follow me, then, if it pleases you…’ Morrigan said walking further behind the ruin, waving them to follow. They continued deeper in the wilds, Amelia had no idea how long they were walking, but after a long time they finally came at a small clearing, she saw a small cottage and an old woman standing there like she had been waiting for them.

‘Greetings, Mother, I bring before you four Grey Wardens who-‘I see them girl. Hmm, Much as I expected…’ the old lady murmured.   
‘Are we supposed to believe you were expecting us?’ Alistair said, eyebrow raised in question -seriously could all Grey Wardens do that with their eyebrows, is that an actual Grey Warden power? Am I going to get some sort of eyebrow raising power? Amelia thought.  
‘You are required to do nothing, least of all believe. Shut one’s eyes tight or open one’s arms wide, either way, one’s a fool!’ the old bat began to ramble.   
‘She’s a witch, I tell you! We shouldn’t be talking to her!’ Daveth said, fear clear in his eyes.   
‘Quiet, Daveth! If she’s really a witch, do you want to make her mad?’ Jory grumbled.   
‘There is a smart lad. Sadly irrelevant to the larger scheme of things, but it is not I who decides, believe what you will…’ Morrigan’s mother said with a mysterious gleam in her eyes.  
She looked at Amelia, the woman’s eyes boring into her forest green ones, ‘And what of you? Does your woman’s mind give you a different viewpoint? Or do you believe as these boys do?’  
‘I’m not sure what to believe…’ Amelia said, an unsettling feeling creeping into her gut. The old bat grinned at her, ‘A statement that possesses more wisdom than it implies… Be always aware,… or is it oblivious? I can never remember…’ Morrigan’s mother said seeming lost in thought. Amelia shivered.   
‘So much about you is uncertain… And yet, I believe, DI I?, Why… it seems I do!’ the woman rambled.  
‘Sooo, this is a dreaded witch of the wilds?’ Alistair who stood behind Amelia whispered in her ear, she had to hold back a snicker.   
‘Witch of the Wilds…’ Morrigan’s mother drawled. ‘Oh, Morrigan must have told you that! She fancies such tales, though she would never admit it!’ The nutty old bat laughed while Morrigan rubbed her forehead in embarrassment, ‘Oh! How she dances under the moon, mwahahahahaha!’ The old lady really cackled now.   
‘They did not come to listen to your wild tales, Mother…’ Morrigan sighed.   
‘True! They came for their treaties, yes? And before you begin barking, your precious seal wore off long ago, I have protected these…’ she gave some scrolls to Amelia and she immediately put them in her pack for safe keepings. ‘You… You’ve protected them?’ Alistair said surprised. ’And why not?’ the old woman snorted, ‘Take them to your Grey Wardens and tell them this Blight’s threat is greater than they realize…’ she said with that strange gleam in her eyes again, Amelia felt another shiver, ‘What is that supposed to mean?’ Amelia asked carefully.   
‘Either the threat is more, or they realize less. Or perhaps the threat is nothing! Or perhaps they realize nothing! Hahaha!’ The old woman was really working on Amelia’s nerves, ‘Oh don’t mind me, you have what you came for!’ she suddenly sounded serious. ‘Time for you to go then!’ Morrigan said quickly. ‘Do not be ridiculous girl, these are your guests.’ The old woman said to her daughter,   
‘Oh, very well, I will show you out of the woods. Follow me…’ the girl sighed.   
They followed Morrigan in silence. She lead them via a shorter route out of the wilds so they were at the war camp right before sundown.   
Alistair took the vials straight to Duncan. Amelia and Daveth went to the quartermaster and sold the wolf pelts they’ve collected and some other stuff they found in the Wilds. Jory just followed them, lost in thought. After that Amelia ran over to the kennel master and delivered the flowers he asked for. He was really grateful she found some and immediately started to prepare some potions for the dogs. When he was finished he asked Amelia if she could help administer a potion to one of the mabari who was in the worst shape. The poor thing lost its owner and companion and had a really bad reaction to the darkspawn blood. So Amelia held on to the mabari, stroking it’s back and belly in comfort and and kept its head up while the kennel master poured the potion into its mouth. ‘Thank you so much!’ the man said eyes shining with gratitude, ‘When all this mess is over, come back to me and we’ll see if we can imprint that mabari to you, he’ll know you’ve helped him so it won’t be an issue!’. ‘Oh? Are… Are you serious?? My own mabari??’ she almost screeched with excitement. ‘You bet!’ the kennel master laughed. She just nodded her agreement, at a loss for words just because she was so excited to have her own mabari! Daveth and Jory laughing waiting for her a little further, clearly heard what she screeched.  
When they were all finished they went back to the Warden camp were Duncan and Alistair were preparing for the ritual.   
‘Ah, you’re all here and Alistair told me you were successful. But I’m afraid we’re not quite ready to begin, why don’t you all get something to eat?’ Duncan suggested.   
The three recruits looked at each other and shrugged.   
Amelia signaled to Daveth and Jory to go without her. When Alistair hurried by her, she stopped him, ‘Hey… Uhm I just want to say… Thank you… again, you know for saving my butt!’ she smiled shyly at him. ‘yeah, no…not a problem!’ he said blushing, ‘It would be a shame to lose such a cute butt!’ he winked at her, making her blush in return.  
They looked in each other’s eyes and she just couldn’t bring herself to leave. ‘Uhmm, I… need… to go help… Duncan…’ he stuttered blushing a more deeper red, ‘Oh… yeah…. Right! Uhm… I see you… later, I guess’ she answered him, blinking her brain back in reality.

She gave him a small wave and made her way to Jory and Daveth who were saving her a bowl of stew. ‘Well, well! Aren’t you two adorable!’ Daveth laughed at her. ‘What? What did I do? I was just thanking the guy for saving my life, nothing wrong with that!’ she said shrugging. ‘Uhu, you just keep telling yourself that! Daveth grinned at her. Jory was prodding his food, ‘Not hungry?’ Amelia asked. ‘Just worried about this joining ritual…’ he answered. ‘The more I think about, the less they tell us about it, the more I become worried about, it’s all too secretive for me…’ the big man sighed. ‘I’ve won a tourney in honor of the Grey Wardens, didn’t I prove myself already? My wife is heavily pregnant in Highever, I just wanted to join, so I could provide more for her…’ he sounded really desperate. ‘oh come on ser knight, don’t be a negative Nancy!’ Daveth said rolling his eyes. ‘Look Jory, don’t break your head over it, you’ll just frustrate yourself and us to boot, we’ll see what this is about pretty soon’ Amelia tried to calm the situation. The knight nodded at her. When Daveth and Amelia finished their bowls the headed back to the camp. And Duncan was waiting for them assisted by Alistair.   
‘I hope you enjoyed that stew! It will be the last meal served here before the battle.’ Duncan smiled kindly at them.   
‘It did, Big D!’ Amelia winked at hem, Daveth and Alistair snorted at the use of Amelia’s nickname for Duncan, ‘Hmpf!’ Duncan sighed. ‘If it’s okay by all of you, I’m really curious about this ritual!’ Jory interrupted the light moment. Duncan grew very serious instantly.   
‘I will not lie, we Grey Wardens pay a heavy price to become what we are… Fate may decree that you pay your price now rather than later…’ the commander of the Wardens said gravely.   
‘So what you’re saying is that this ritual can kill us?’ Amelia asked disbelief in her voice, Jory and Daveth shuffling nervously next to her.   
‘As could any darkspawn you might face in battle. You would not have been chosen, however if I didn’t think you had a chance to survive!’ Duncan tried to calm them down.   
‘Let’s get this over, then! I think I speak for us all when I say I’m anxious to see this Joining thing now!’ Daveth said, ‘I agree, let’s have it done!’ Jory piped in.   
Duncan looked over at Alistair and nodded to him, ‘Then let us begin. Alistair, take them to the old temple!’. The junior Warden looked at Duncan and nodded back to the commander, looked at the three recruits and then at Amelia specifically. He took a deep breath and signaled them to follow him.  
They walked over to the clearing where Amelia first met Alistair. It was near the war counsel, but still secluded enough for the ritual.   
Duncan headed over to the mages compound and it seemed he was expected there. One of the mages gave the commander of the Grey a small package, she wondered what that was.

When they were gathered in that clearing Duncan took a large silver chalice and began rumbling in the pack the mage gave him.   
‘The more I hear about this Joining, the less I like it.’ Jory started mopin. ‘Are you blubbering again?’ Daveth responded. ‘Why all these damned tests? Have I not earned my place?’ Jory started again.  
‘Maybe it’s tradition, maybe they’re just trying to annoy you!’ Daveth snickered.  
‘Calm down, the both of you! There’s nothing we can do about it now?’ Amelia sighed. ‘I swear am the bravest one here and I’m a woman…’ she rubbed her temples.   
‘I only know that my wife is in Hoghever with a child on the way, if they had warned me… It just doesn’t seem fair…’ The big man said with fear wafting from him.   
‘Would you have come if they’d warned you? Maybe that’s why they don’t. The Wardens do what they must, right?’ Daveth shrugged at the knight. ‘Including sacrificing us?’ the big man asked him with wide eyes. ‘I’d sacrifice a lot more if I knew it would end the Blight!’ Daveth said seriously. Wow that was the first time he wasn’t goofing around, he really meant what he said… Amelia thought, there’s more to this guy than just the sweet talker he pretends himself to be.   
‘Look guys, let’s not overreact, we don’t know what’s about to happen, okay?’ Amelia tried to broker a truce. ‘You saw those darkspawn, ser knight. Wouldn’t you die to protect your pretty wife and child from them?’ Daveth said darkly. Jory was surprised by this, ‘I…’, ‘Maybe you’ll die, maybe we’ll all die. If nobody stops the darkspawn, we’ll die for sure!’ The rogue said almost pleading.   
Jory rubbed the back of his head, ‘Look… I just never faced a foe I couldn’t engage with my blade… It’s all very unnerving…’ Before the knight could say something more, Duncan interrupted them.   
‘At last we come to the Joining’ he said very formal. ‘The Grey Wardens were founded during the first Blight, when humanity stood on the verge of annihilation. So it was that the first grey Wardens drank of the darkspawn blood and mastered their taint…’, ‘We… We’re going to drink… The blood of those… Those creatures?’ Jory’s face became ghastly pale.   
‘As the first Grey Wardens did before us, as we did before you… This is the source of our power and our victory!’ Duncan told him with a stern voice.   
‘Those who survive the Joining become immune to the taint, we can sense it in the darkspawn and use it to slay the archdemon’, Alistair said, taking his place next to Duncan.   
‘Well… Let’s get this show on the road…’ Amelia swallowed. The other two recruits nodded their agreement.  
‘We speak only a few words prior to the Joining, but these words have been said since the first… Alistair, if you would.’ The commander said to his junior member. Alistair took a deep breath and gave a fast glimpse at Amelia and then closed his eyes and bowed his head.  
‘Join us, brothers and sisters, join us in the shadows where we stand, vigilant, join us as we carry the duty that cannot be forsworn. And should you perish, know that your sacrifice will not be forgotten and then one day…we shall join you.’ –Well that was grim… Amelia thought. Please Maker, you let me survive that stuff at the Circle, please please please let me survive this as well!   
In the corner of her eyes she saw Jory losing it, he was eyeing the goblet on the pedestal frantically.   
Duncan gave a small nod to Alistair, who stepped behind Daveth, Duncan went to the pedestal and took the goblet, ‘Daveth, step forward!’ he commanded the rogue. Daveth took a step towards Duncan and took the goblet when offered.   
He hesitantly brought it to his lips and took a big gulp of it before returning it to Duncan. He looked at Amelia and winked. –Okay so nothing’s…-, she couldn’t even finish that thought, Daveth grabbed his head, his throat, it was like he couldn’t breathe, and sweet Maker, his eyes were a full milk white, this shit is very disturbing! ‘Makers breath!’ Jory squeeled.  
Daveth collapsed in Alistair’s arms (oooh so that’s why he stood behind him!) and the junior Warden laid Daveth on the ground, and for a moment the rogue didn’t breathe, but when his chest started to slowly rise and fall again, she relaxed again, as well as Duncan and Alistair.  
Jory backed away slowly, eyes frantic, Duncan, saw that and turned to the knight, ‘Ser Jory, step forward…’ The knight was slowly grabbing his sword ‘But… I have a wife… A child, had I known…’ he stuttered. ‘There is no turning back, Jory’ Duncan said in a very threatening voice.   
‘No!’ the knight yelled, ‘You ask too much! There is no glory in this!’ his voice trembled. When it was clear the knight wouldn’t drink from the goblet, Duncan placed it back on the pedestal and grabbed his dagger. Jory launched an attack, and Duncan parried it with ease and a grace you can clearly see was from decades of experience. Duncan grabbed Jory’s sword arm and plunged his dagger into the knights gut. He sliced the man’s abdomen open from side to side, organs spilling out. Amelia thought she heard him say ‘I’m sorry’ but wasn’t sure because he said it so quietly.   
She felt Alistair coming to stand behind her, she breathed in his presence. ‘Please catch me when I pass out, okay?’ she asked in a fragile voice, he only nodded at her.   
‘Amelia, are you ready?’ Duncan asked her, ‘No, I’m not, but let’s get this over with anyway…’ she tried to sound tough but the two noticed how she put on a brave face.   
She took the goblet in her shaking hands and the smell wafting from the liquid was utterly disgusting. Makers breath could she really drink this? She feared she would vomit on the spot.   
She put the goblet to her lips and took a gulp, the liquid was very thick in her throat and it tasted exactly like it smelled, like acid in combination with something rotting. She tried to swallow, but it was like she couldn’t control her bodily functions and she thought she was going to choke on the disgusting liquid. She grabbed at her throat, and then the images flashed in front of her, or was it in her mind? She couldn’t say, but the one thing she could say was that she saw a friggin’ dragon! But there was something wrong with it, it had milk white eyes, and it was like it’s skin was rotting, like it was… corrupted… Is that…. An archdemon? She tried clawing at her head for the image to disappear, she heard Duncan say something like ‘From this moment forth, you are a Grey Warden…’ and before she knew she passed out.


	8. Wrong end of the Warden

Amelia blinked a couple of times and when she opened her eyes, three faces were looking down upon her. Duncan looked relieved she survived, Alistair looked really worried but there was also relief in his eyes and Daveth looked really pale, like he was ran over by a horde of druffalo’s.   
‘Ah, welcome again to the world of the living, it is finished child!’ Duncan smiled softly at her.   
‘Another death… In my joining only one of us died, but it was horrible.’ Alistair said helping her sit up, his hands and arm lingering at her back and shoulders. I’m glad at least two of you made it through!’.

‘How do you two feel?’ Duncan asked her and Daveth. ‘Like shit!’ the rogue answered rubbing his eyes. ‘What he said!” Amelia agreed massaging her neck, ‘That was even more painful than my Harrowing!’ she grumbled at Duncan. ‘Such is what it takes to be a Grey Warden.’ He shrugged her muttering. ‘Did you guys had dreams? ‘ I had terrible dreams after my Joining!’ Alistair asked them. ‘Not really a dream… more like I was at a different place,’ Daveth said pensively.   
‘Such dreams come when you begin to sense the darkspawn, as we all do…. That and many other things can be explained in the months to come.’ Duncan explained. ‘Like what other things?’ Amelia asked the commander of the Grey, ‘You’ll see…’ he smiled at her and winked, Alistair snickered at that.  
‘Before I forget, there is one last thing to your Joining!’ Alistair said, grabbing something from his pocket, ‘We take some of that blood and out it in a pendant, something to remind us… Of those who didn’t make it this far.’ He continued, giving a pendant to Amelia and Daveth. ‘Thanks!’ Amelia said, opening the necklace so Alistair could put it around her neck, she hold her braid up for him and she felt his hands lingering slightly.   
‘Oh this is rich!’ Daveth laughed, ‘Could you help me as well with this necklace, Junior?’ Making sure Amelia as well as Alistair turned a deep crimson red, and Duncan hiding his smile behind a cough.   
‘So Amelia,’ Duncan started ‘When you are ready, I’d like you to accompany me to a meeting with the king.’, ‘Uhm… Okay?’ she answered him with doubt in her voice, ‘What kind of meeting?’. ‘The king is discussing strategy for the upcoming battle. I am not sure why he has requested your presence…’ Duncan added.   
‘The meeting is a little bit further from our clearing here, please attend as soon as you’re able.’ Duncan nodded at her.   
Duncan started off to the war counsel and Alistair also left for the Grey Warden camp. Daveth and Amelia shared a look, ‘That was… really brutal!’ She said, ‘Tell me about it!’ he answered. ‘I still can’t believe I didn’t puke all over!’ he grinned. ‘Yeah me too! And also that I didn’t choke on that stuff, that was seriously disgusting!’ she made a face and Daveth nodded his agreement. ‘Well since you, misses Mage can go to a war counsel, I’m going to search for a blacksmith to sharpen my daggers and also search for some more arrows.’ She nodded and jogged to catch up with Duncan.   
‘I’m really glad you survived, child’ he looked at her with a small smile, ‘With your capabilities and sharp mind, you will grow into a fine commander someday!’ he winked at her, giving her shoulder a comforting squeeze. ‘Do… Do you really mean that?’ Amelia said wide eyed, ‘I do, you think really fast in crises, from what I’ve heard from Alistair, you fight remarkable well in a team with warriors and rogues, you adapt really quickly, do I need to continue?’ he asked her smiling. ‘I’m really surprised you think I’m commander material!’ she said, still in a little bit of shock, ‘Well not now, of course! But when you’re older, more experienced had the opportunity to lead a smaller group, or some smaller missions, yes, I really think you are!’ He told her truthfully, she blushed at all the praise.   
They arrived at the war counsel and she saw king Cailan, teyrn Loghain, that cow of a revered mother, and that weirdo from the Circle: Uldred – she never really liked that guy, he just so arrogant, never bothered to teach something to an apprentice even though he was a great mage-.   
‘Loghain, my decision is final, I will stand by the Grey Wardens in this assault!’ Cailan stated firmly. ‘You risk too much Calain… The darkspawn horde is too dangerous for you to be playing hero on the front lines!’ the teyrn said frustrated. ‘If that’s the case, perhaps we should wait for the Orlesian forces to join us, after all!’ Cailan said daring the teyrn.   
‘I must repeat my protest to your fool notion that we need the Orlesians to defend ourselves!’ the teyrn hissed.   
‘It is not a “fool” notion! Our arguments with the Orlesians are a thing of the past… And you will remember who is king!’ Cailan said narrowing his eyes and straightening his back so he was towering over Loghain, no trace of the charming and joking young man Amelia saw when she arrived at Ostagar.   
‘How fortunate Marric did not live to see his son ready to hand Ferelden over to those who enslaved us for a century!’ the teyrn came up right in front of the king, the stood almost nose to nose, glaring at each other.   
‘Then our current forces will have to suffice, won’t they?’ Cailan hissed furiously at Loghain, ‘Duncan, are your men ready for battle?’ the king checked with the commander of the Grey.   
‘They are, your Majesty!’ Duncan answered.   
‘And this is the recruit I met earlier on the road? I understand congratulations are in order!’ Cailan smiled at her – aaaaand there is the charming fellow she saw earlier when she arrived!  
‘Thank you, you Majesty…’ She said blushing. ‘Every Grey Warden is needed now, you should be honored to join their ranks!’ the king said to her in admiration.   
You could see the hope, dreams and desire to be a legendary hero in everything the man said an did, talk about getting to be disappointed! From everything she read and now heard, war is not something to be glorified she thought absentmindedly.   
‘Your fascination with glory and legends will be your undoing, Cailan, we must attend to reality!’ teyrn Loghain snapped.   
‘Fine! Speak your strategy. The Grey Wardens and I draw the darkspawn into charging our lines and then…?’ Cailan said bending over the large map on the table, tracing some patterns with his fingers.  
‘You will alert the tower to light the beacon, signaling my men to charge from cover...’ The teyrn said showing it on the map. ‘To flank the darkspawn, I remember, this is the Tower of Ishal in the ruins, yes? Who shall light this beacon?’ Cailan completely interrupted the teyrn.   
‘I have a few men stationed there. It’s not a dangerous task, but it is vital!’ the teyrn ignored Cailan’s interruption.   
‘Then we should send our best!’ Cailan said thinking about it, he gave a quick look at Duncan,- and did he just gave slight nod to the king? What is going on here?- ‘Send Alistair and Amelia to make sure it’s done!’ he said firmly. ‘Wait? What? You mean I won’t be in the battle?’ Amelia asked in surprise. ‘We need the beacon! Without it, Loghain’s men won’t know when to charge!’ Duncan said tightly. ‘Yeah, I get that, but don’t you need me in the battle? Seeing that I’m a mage and I can give the Circle mages some extra back up?’ Amelia tried to reason with Duncan, She really didn’t want to be left behind, what if – Maker forbid- Duncan died out there she couldn’t live with herself knowing she could have done something about it! And Alistair probably felt the same she guessed.   
‘Amelia, our decision is final, you and Alistair are going to the Tower and lit the beacon, end of discussion!’ Duncan snapped at her? ‘All right, all right, no need to get your small clothes in a twist…’ she muttered. ‘You see, Amelia, glory for everyone!’ Cailan said smiling at her, but it didn’t reach his eyes.   
‘You rely on these Grey Wardens too much, Cailan, is that truly wise?’ Loghain sighed, rubbing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose.  
‘Enough of your conspiracy theories, Loghain, Grey Wardens battle the Blight, no matter where they’re from…’ Cailan replied, his tone was laced with frustration, like he had this discussion with the teyrn a lot in the past.   
‘Your Majesty, if I may interrupt,’ Duncan said, the king nodding his permission, ‘You should consider the possibility of the archdemon appearing…’ the commander of the Grey said seriously.   
‘There have been no signs of any dragon in the Wilds!’ Loghain sneered.   
‘Isn’t that what your men are here for, Duncan?’ the king said dismissing the teyrn comment.   
‘I… yes…. Your Majesty’ Duncan answered taken aback with that question.   
‘Your Majesty, the tower and it’s beacon are unnecessary… The Circle of Magi…’ Uldred started saying to the king, but he got interrupted by that stupid revered cow, ‘We will not trust any lives to your spells, mage!’ Save them for the darkspawn!’ she hissed at Uldred. -How could she be so stupid! I mean, we’re in a friggin war, and she’s afraid of us mages? Why couldn’t the cow just think logically about this situation and let the mages do what we do best, kick some serious magical ass!  
‘ENOUGH!’ Loghain snapped and smacked his hand on the table, causing everyone, except for Duncan, to jump a little, ‘This plan will suffice… The Grey Wardens will light the beacon.’ The teyrn said a little calmer now.   
‘Thank you, Logain. I cannot wait for that glorious moment! The Grey Wardens battle beside the king of Ferelden to stem the tide evil!’ Cailan beamed at Duncan, who gave a small smile in return.   
‘Yes Cailan, a glorious moment for us all….’ The teyrn said walking away from the war counsel.   
They wrapped up the meeting and Amelia and Duncan walked sided by side to the Warden camp spot. ‘Hey D…’ Amelia started, ‘No, you can not under any circumstance participate in the battle!’ he said sternly to her. She rolled her eyes, ‘that wasn’t what I was going to ask, although it has to do with it.’ He nodded for her to continue, ‘Why are you guys sending us to the tower? It’s not like we’re without skill you know…’, Duncan stopped walking and sighed, he rubbed his face tiredly, ‘We are sending you, Daveth and Alistair to the tower because you have the least experience with darkspawn, and although we want to spare you from the battle, we don’t want you three to be thrown in front of the wolves as well…’ Duncan explained. She didn’t believe him one bit, there was another reason but she probably couldn’t pry it from him, he was to tightlipped.   
She nodded, pretending to be satisfied by that answer.   
Once they arrived at their little camp, Amelia started to pack her things and slung her bag over her shoulder and grabbed her staff. Daveth arrived a little after she did and showed off two new daggers, one was really cool, with runes inscribed in the blade. ‘Wauw Daveth, that’s a really pretty dagger!’ she smiled at him, ‘Careful with that language, misses Mage,’ he grinned, ‘if I didn’t know any better you were talking about something else of mine!’ he laughed as she smacked his shoulder, rolling her eyes. ‘Daveth, even if you were the last man alive, it would still be a “no” for you!’, ‘Ah my wounded heart!’ he laughed some more and looked from her to Alistair, which she pretended not to notice. – Hah, like that could ever happen, a guy like Alistair, with his background and a girl like her, a mage, nope that wasn’t for her, she thought to herself, but on the other hand, watching never killed anybody, she added in her mind, smiling.   
‘So, all of you are here, good!’ Duncan started, ‘Amelia, you heard the plan AND you agreed to it,’ Duncan added accentuating that last part. ‘You, Alistair and Daveth will go the tower of IShal and ensure the beacon is lit!’ he explained.   
‘WHAT?!’ Alistair yelled, ‘I won’t be in the battle?’ he really sounded hurt, damn he took it worse than she thought. ‘This is by the king’s personal request, Alistair.’ Duncan gave the junior warden a strange look, and was that anger in Alistair’s eyes? He couldn’t be that pissed about it, could he?  
‘If the beacon is not lit, teyrn Loghain’s men won’t know when to charge!’ Duncan continued.   
‘So he needs three Grey Wardens standing up there holding the torch, just in case, right?’ Alistair sneered. ‘Look D, I know I agreed, but Alistair, Daveth and I should be in the battle with you…’ Amelia sighed.   
‘That is not your choice! If king Cailan wishes Grey Wardens to ensure the beacon is lit, then Grey Wardens will be there!’ Duncan was really angry now, he used a very commanding tone, causing the three of them to flinch. ‘We must do whatever it takes to destroy the darkspawn… exciting or no!’ he added.  
Alistair grumbled, ‘I get it, I get it… Just so you know, if the king ever asks me to put on a dress and dance the Remigold, I’m drawing the line. Darkspawn or no!’   
Daveth laughed at that and Amelia snorted, ‘I don’t know, I think I’d like to see that!’. He grinned at her, ‘For you, MAYBE. But it has to be a pretty dress.’ She laughed at that, Daveth grinned at the two of them ‘I don’t what your into, but dresses are a pass for me!’ and Duncan just sighed at his three laughing recruits.  
‘The tower is at the other side of the gorge, make sure you leave as soon as possible, so you won’t miss the signal!’  
Alistair and Duncan started discussing some of the possible situations like what if there’s an archdemon, could they help in the battle after lighting the beacon,… Amelia excused herself and found somewhere where she could pee in quiet, after that she made a final stop at the quartermaster selling the last of the stuff she didn’t actually need and bought some extra ingredients to make potions herself and some more bandages, just in case!  
When she came back, she saw Alistair saying his goodbyes to Duncan, he gave his commander a warriors greeting and Duncan pulled him in for a quick fatherly hug, Duncan did the same for Daveth. And when he saw Amelia, he walked towards her, ‘Be careful, all of you!’ he said, ‘And Amelia, please keep an eye on Alistair, would you?’ he asked quietly. ‘Uhm… Sure D, but Alistair’s a big boy, he can handle himself really well out there.’ She said frowning. ‘I know, but all the same, please watch out for him. If anything were to happen to me, he will be devastated!’ ‘Don’t worry D, you’ll be fine, he’ll be fine, we’ll all be fine!’ she comforted him, ‘I know, child!’ he said, hugging her as well. ‘Hey D, you be careful too, okay?’ she gave him a sad smile, ‘I will, child, don’t you worry about me!’ he waved at Alistair and Daveth, gathered his stuff and took off to the valley.   
‘Well, I guess we should also be off then.’ She smiled at her companions.

Thunder and rain rolled in over the valley, every now and then lightning would illuminate the whole valley revealing the king’s army waiting for the approaching darkspawn horde. The soldiers heard the weird throaty rumble that those beasts made from afar and that alone intimidated some. Archers lying in wait on either side and at the back of the army arrows nocked loosely over their bows, mabari hounds growling and barking, comrades steadying each other, a Chantry initiate passing through the ranks saying words of prayer and strength. King Cailan and Duncan walking over to the rest of the Grey Wardens, ‘The plan will work your Majesty!’ Duncan said confident, ‘Of coarse it wil, the blight ends here!’ Cailan answered matter of factly.

They saw the back of the forest getting brighter and an orangey glow settled in… And then… the first of the darkspawn emerged from the forest.   
Growling, rumbling their ranks multiplied. Genlocks, hurlocks, alphas, emissaries, even a couple of ogres, all poured out slowly from the forest. One massive hurlock alpha seemed to lead the darkspawn charge.  
One of the older Grey Wardens next to Duncan gave a wry smile, ‘Andraste’s tits, those are a lot of ‘em… Those fuckers have been busy!’ , Duncave gave a grin in return, ‘Scared their won’t be enough to slaughter? Our competition still stands, you know. What was the score again?’, ‘Duncan you crazy shit! I’m gonna beat your score, just you wait and see!’ the senior Warden smiled a war lusting grin.   
‘I’ll hold you to that!’ the commander of the Grey watched all his fellow wardens and gave them a nod and put his right fist over his heart, a greeting and farewell they used for each other as a sign of respect. The other Wardens followed his example.  
Some of the lipless monsters started to pound their feet on the ground, like a bull ready to charge, others clanged their weapons against each other and screamed furiously.   
Some of the more novice soldiers in the front backed away slowly and shaking, steeled by the more experienced behind them.   
The darkspawn’s charge started by an enormous scream from the giant alpha.   
Cailan straightened his back and yelled ‘ARCHERS!’, all of the archers at the back and sides from the army set their arrows aflame and got ready to shoot raising their bows, waiting for their king’s signal.   
When the first line of darkspawn came in range, the king roared ‘FIRE!’. A tidal wave of arrows flew into the air and knocked the first three lines of darkspawn down.  
The next wave of darkspawn just continued forwards like nothing happened. ‘HOUNDS!’ Cailan shouted. Hundreds of mabari and ash warriors flew over the battlefield, clashing with the darkspawn line.   
Cailan and Duncan nodded at each other, unsheathed their swords and Cailan put on his golden helmet. ‘For Ferelden! For GLORY!’ he roared and as one the whole army raised their swords and shot forward to the enemy on the battlefield.  
Catapults from the darkspawn let flaming boulders loose, ballistae from the king’s army were sending soaring spears to the enemy.

Meanwhile Daveth, Alistair and Amelia were all geared up and making their way to the bridge. They heard all the shouting and screeching from soldier and darkspawn alike, growling and howling from mabari and Ash warrior.   
The archers and soldiers manning the ballistae were giving it their all, the three wardens looked at each other and started jogging over the bridge, Amelia jogged in the front and was almost at the middle of the bridge when Alistair suddenly yanked her backwards. ‘Alistair, what the…’ she yelled to be heard over all the noise when a fireball landed in front of them on the place where she was jogging just seconds ago, ballista destroyed and soldiers dead. ‘Holy shit!’ she yelled looking wide eyed at Alistair, ‘You… you…’ she stuttered. ‘Saved you again? Yes he did! He’s making a habit out of it.’ Daveth grinned at her. Alistair just blushed a little ‘Well, it would be a shame losing a team-member already!’ he muttered the blush reaching the tip of his ears.   
‘You two ready?’ Daveth asked them, ‘Let’s get a move on!’, Amelia and Alistair nodded in agreement and started to jog further.   
When they reached the courtyard of the Tower of Ishal, an archer ran towards her ‘Help us! Maker! They’re everywhere!’ he shouted. ‘You… you’re Grey Wardens, aren’t you?! The tower… it has been taken!’ the archer said terrified. ‘What are you talking about, man? Taken how?’ Alistair said skeptically. ‘The darkspawn came up the lower chambers! They’re everywhere! Most of the men stationed there are dead!’ the poor man said. ‘How is that even possible!’ Amelia asked in disbelief. ‘That doesn’t matter now!’ Alistair said sternly, ‘We have to get to the beacon and light it ourselves!’  
‘Easier said than done when the whole tower is overrun!’ Daveth said rubbing the back of his head.   
Maker preserve us!’ Amelia mumbled under her breath, ‘Okay, okay, let’s go be Grey Wardeny’ she sighed. They made sure their weapons were at the ready in case of an immediate attack.   
When they turned the corner, darkspawn were attacking the soldiers outside. Amelia and the archer staid back and provided back up for everyone that needed it, Alistair and Daveth joined the fray and hacked, sliced and diced to their hearts content. She occasionally heard them counting and shouting to each other, keeping scores. Oh, so they want to have a bit of friendly competition, let’s give them competition she thought smiling wickedly. She powered up for a chain lightning spell and when she released it she practically killed every remaining darkspawn on the lower courtyard. Daveth and Alistair looked at her with surprise, ‘Guess someone is a little competitive!’ Daveth laughed and Alistair looked at her in awe, ‘Damn, that was some high level spell casting, now I really understand why Duncan recruited you!’, ‘Why thank you, good Ser!’ she joked and made a mock bow.   
They advanced to the upper courtyard and made quick work off the darkspawn there, but when the last genlock fell over they got ambushed by shrieks. A shriek is a different kind of darkspawn, very scrawny, very agile and fast with big claws. They can also move unseen through lines of defense to make a stealth attack, so definitely a darkspawn that Amelia would grow to hate.

They worked together to finish the shrieks and continued their way to the entrance of the tower.   
‘Everybody ready?’ Daveth asked them. They all nodded and Daveth opened the door silently and went into stealth mode to check out the next room.   
When Daveth returned he gave them an update, ‘There was a tripwire that I dismantled, and I saw one genlock emissary, three regular genlocks and 5 hurlocks.’ ‘Okay, so what’s the plan, then?’ ‘Hey Ames, can you do one of your “freeze everything” spells?’ Alistair asked. ‘What… What did you call me?’ Amelia asked him eyes wide in surprise, ‘Uhm, I called you Ames, I thought it would be a nice nickname for you.’ Amelia was a little dumbstruck and tried to regain some of the intelligence she normally had, ‘That… That was the uhm, nickname, my closest friends gave me…’ she admitted.   
‘so I was a little surprised to hear that nickname again… I thought I would never hear it again…’she gave Alistair a soft smile, ‘Should I, uhm… We don’t call you that again?’ he looked at her with worry in his eyes. ‘No, yeah, of course you guys can call me that! I mean, that nickname brings back very fond memories, so yeah call me Ames!’ she smiled relieved. ‘I’m going to stick with misses Mage, if you don’t mind!’ Daveth grinned at her. ‘Alright… Ames,’ Alistair laughed and then added winking, ‘Maybe we can create some new memories for the nickname!’, Amelia didn’t just blushed at that, but turned crimson red.   
‘I don’t want to interfere in your team-moment, but can we please hurry up?’ the archer said to them. ‘Right!’ Alistair snapped back into reality, ‘So, Ames, you use your frosty freezing spell and we come in crashing everything in sight.’ Alistair suggested. ‘I’m down with that!’ Daveth agreed and Amelia and the archer just nodded.   
Amelia summoned her mana and focused on a blizzard spell. She released the spell and the next room was covered in ice, the darkspawn in the room were frozen solid, even the emissary.   
Amelia jogged over, Alistair and Daveth in tow and she used a stone fist spell on the emissary. Alistair used his shield to bash the frozen monsters, Daveth used his daggers to crush them. The archer was just looking in awe at the three of them working in tandem with each other. Amelia grabbed a lyrium potion and took a sip of it. ‘That blizzard spell took more out of me than I thought!’ she explained when Alistair looked worried in her direction, ‘I’ll be fine after this, really!’ she smiled at him. ‘You take care of yourself misses Mage!’ Daveth said more serious than they were used of him, ‘make sure you replenish yourself! It would be bad if your juice ran dry in the middle of a battle!’ ‘I know, I know, no worries, give me a minute and my mana will be as good as new!’ she tried to calm the guys down.   
When her mana was recovered they advanced to the next room, they hacked, slashed and bashed, and Amelia was in the lead, which frustrated the guys enormously, they have such fragile ego’s Amelia thought smiling inwardly. Alistair was a close second and Daveth was apparently a very sore loser.   
When they reached the next level in the tower they all stood still, a little bit shocked at the state of the room, there were mutilated corpses everywhere, heads on pikes, fleshy sacks covering the walls. ‘Maker’s breath! What are these darkspawn doing ahead of the rest of the horde? There wasn’t supposed to be any resistance here!’ Alistair grumbled.   
‘You could try telling them they’re in the wrong place?’ Amelia snickered. ‘Right, because clearly this is just a misunderstanding. We’ll laugh about this later.’ Alistair answered sarcastically, ‘at any rate, we need to hurry! We need to get up to the top of the tower and light the signal fire in time! teyrn Loghain will be waiting for the signal!’  
They flew through the different levels in the tower, at the second last level they freed some mabari hounds who were trapped by those sadistic monsters. Daveth went into stealth mode again, unlocked the cages and they fought side by side with the hounds and defeated the darkspawn on that level fairly quickly.   
When they entered the last floor, they saw the windows were all broken, so they heard the shouts from the battle in the valley, and the smell of fire in their noses. But when they saw an ogre standing in the room – Sweet Maker! How did they bring that in here? She wondered – they were all shocked, ‘That’s… not good!’ Alistair said dryly.   
‘Well aren’t you the genius’ Daveth said wide eyed, looking with terror at the gigantic beast.   
‘Guys, that thing is… massive…’ Amelia said, fear making knots in the pit of her stomach.   
‘Look, Ames, hit it with a frost spell, or any other spell that would slow it down!’ Alistair said in a commanding voice, ‘Aye Ser!’ Amelia saluted him, watching the ogre, who now noticed it wasn’t alone anymore and got interrupted during his dinner… Oh sweet maker, that was a person a couple of hours ago and now it was reduced to nothing more than a crushed body, nothing made it recognizable.   
‘Every one, let’s get ready to rumble!’ Daveth yelled, the whole team snapped into attention, Amelia running to a point the furthest removed from the ogre, summoning a glyph of paralysis. The ogre stepped on the glyph and, - thank the Maker- it didn’t repelled the glyph! Daveth circled the beast to do some literal backstabbing, and Alistair used is shield to bash it knees into a pulp. The archer stood on the other side of Amelia firing arrow after arrow.   
Amelia used another cone of cold spell and froze the ogre solid, the guys making the most of the time she gave them.   
She fired fireball after lightning ball after regular arcane bolts. When her mana was completely drained, she took the lyrium potion she used earlier and took another gulp. ‘AMELIA, WATCH OUT!’ Alistair shouted at her, she looked up and saw the ogre preparing to charge right at her with his horns down. ‘Oh shit!’ she scrambled backwards, and tried any spell that came to mind, but the lyrium wasn’t working yet. ‘Oh shit… crap… fuck!’ she panicked and tried to back away to the other side of the room. The ogre started it’s charge and she prepared to dive away, but suddenly she was pushed. When she fell on the ground her head snapped up and she saw Daveth impaled on the horns of the ogre. ‘Well… Misses Mage… Glad I could… save your pretty butt… for once…’ he grinned at her, blood trickling from his lips. ‘Daveth… No!’ she screamed, tears rolling freely from her cheeks, she felt her magic erupting now, she screeched and used a petrify spell, but she put so much power in it the statue of the ogre started to crack and pulverize. Alistair caught Daveth when he fell down. ‘Daveth!’ Amelia started to heal him, ‘Ames…’ Alistair started, ‘No! Maker damn it!’ she cried. ‘Am… Ames…’ Daveth breathed, ‘Don’t… I’m a… dead man…’ he coughed. ‘I’m so sorry!’ she balled. ‘You… have… nothing… to be… sorry for…’ he smiled at her, his breathing became difficult now, ‘Don’t… be blind… you two… and… make sure … to see… what’s right… in front… of you!’ he rasped. What the hell did that mean? ‘We will, Daveth!’ she promised even though she had absolutely no clue what he meant. Alistair grabbed his hand and put his right fist over his heart in a salute.   
‘We will never forget you Daveth!’ Alistair vowed to their dying comrade.   
‘I should light the beacon, we probably missed the signal by now…’ Alistair whispered to her. Amelia just nodded to him, and held Daveth’s hand. She started to hum a song she learned in the Circle as a kid, and tried to make Daveth’s suffering as easy as could be. ‘Aren’t… you… disappointed… you… never… slept… with… me?’ Daveth tried to grin at her, she gave a wobbly laugh, tears still flowing down her cheeks. ‘Yeah… not disappointed at all!’ she laughed again, right when he did, ‘Just really sad I’m losing someone who became a really good friend in a really short time!’ she sobbed again.   
Daveth tried to cup her cheek with his other hand but didn’t have the strength and his hand fell back on the ground. His breath became more ragged and he had to do more effort to breath.   
Alistair lit the beacon and made his way over to them again, he sat on the other side of Daveth.   
He wanted to say something but the door was barged open and before they knew it they both got hit by several darkspawn arrows. Amelia saw the darkspawn pour in and heard… was that flapping? But before she could see where the sound came from, she passed out.


End file.
